Course code VeteB022
Credit points 4
Total Hours in Course120
Number of hours for lectures26
Number of hours for seminars and practical classes26
Number of hours for laboratory classes0
Independent study hours56
Date of course confirmation20.12.2023
Responsible UnitClinical Institute
Dr. med. vet.
Dr. med. vet.
First-cycle professional higher education(līm.)
Vete4105, Pharmacology, Pharmacotherapy and Toxicology I
Vete4109, Internal Medicine, Herd Health II
VeteB006, Forage Production and Animal Nutrition III
VeteB014, Animal Welfare, Environment Hygiene II
VeteB030, Clinical and Laboratory Diagnostics III
VeteB034, Internal Medicine, Herd Health II
VeteB042, Pathology and Forensic Veterinary Medicine III
Vete6040 [GVET6040] Internal Medicine, Herd Health III
In this course students learn definitions of internal diseases, epidemiology, aetiology, pathogenesis, and clinical signs of diseases, diagnosis principles, prognosis, disease treatment and prevention options. The general part of this study course consists of reviews of internal diseases pathophysiology, diagnostic and treatment principles, and after the general part an in–depth review disease characteristics of each species. In the Heard health part students learn how to assess health of the livestock and how to deal with problems in the heard - taking into account economic considerations
After completing the course student will have:
Knowledge of diseases causes, pathogenesis, clinical findings, treatment and prophylaxis of diseases; knowledge of clinical examination methods; knowledge of collection of anamnesis data, about application of clinical symptoms and results of laboratory analyses in the differential diagnosis of disease and about limitations of application of treated animal products in human nutrition; in identification of herd health problems, analysis of causes. Tests (5)
Skills to communicate effectively with clients, to collect anamnesis data, to interpret results of clinical and laboratory examination for differentiation diagnosis of diseases, to establish diagnosis, providing first aid. Skills to perform herd health control, to detect herd health problems and recognize causes of them in production animal unites; to work effectively as a member of a multi-disciplinary team in animal production unit;
Tests (5); individually prepared CCRA work;
Competent to explain the pathogenesis of diseases; to establish diagnosis; to create a treatment plan of different diseases. to identify herd health problems, to analyse causes and to prepare a problem’s solving plan. Tests (5); Student’s presentation of CCRA work
1. Introduction to herd health. Control of nutritional quality and metabolic diseases. KEGA topics (4h)
2. Welfare and biosecurity control. Control of infectious and invasive diseases. KEGA methodology, topic selection (2h)
3. Reproduction control. Control of mastitis, milking hygiene and equipment. Presentation of KEGA questionnaires (3h)
3. Control of lameness. Health control of newborn and rearing calves. Presentation of KEGA questionnaires (3h)
4. Principles of sheep flock health control. Principles of goat herd health control. 1st test. (2h)
6. Excursion to 2 cowsheds. Practical herd health control and data acquisition for KEGA work development. (6h)
7. Trip to the sheep or goat shed. Practical herd health control and data acquisition for KEGA work development (3h)
8. Horse diseases Diseases of the respiratory system in horses. Diseases of the upper respiratory tract. (3h)
9. Diseases of the respiratory system in horses. Pneumonia. Pleuropneumonia. Equine asthma syndrome. (3h)
10. 2nd test. Diseases of the cardiovascular system in horses. Congenital and acquired heart diseases. Arrhythmias. (3h)
11. Diseases of the gastrointestinal system in horses. Colics. Obstructive colics. Stomach ulcer syndrome. Enteritis, Colitis. (3h)
12. 3rd test.Diseases of the endocrine system in horses. Myopathies in horses. Cushing's syndrome. Metabolic syndrome. Hyperlipemia. Hyperlipidemia. Laminitis. (4h)
13. Skin diseases in horses. Cellulite. Lymphangitis. 4th test. (3h)
14. Basics of pig farming, types of keeping, production cycles in pig farming, Pig welfare requirements. Economic operations and procedures. Disease prevention measures in pig farming. Keeping decorative pigs, diseases. (3h)
15. Fixation of pigs, injection technique, blood sampling for pigs. Diseases of suckling piglets. Diseases of fattening pigs. Diseases of breeding pigs.
Respiratory diseases, diseases of the digestive tract, parasitic diseases, metabolic diseases 5th test. (4h)
16. Presentation and discussion of KEGA works. (3h)
Five tests (1- with herd health problems analyze – in Herd Health, 1 – in Pig diseases and 3– in Horse diseases), CCRA work and its presentation must be scored with a successful grade in order to get an access to the final exam of the courses “Internal Medicine, Herd Health II and III”. Absence of practical work is not more than 30% of the total number of lessons. If missed practical works are more than 30% of the total number of lessons, then the course must be repeated. The exam at the end of the course Internal Medicine, Herd Health III consists of a test and a written analysis of one clinical case. The final exam must be passed with a successful grade.
The aim is to learn independently how to obtain information from the recommended veterinary literature, websites about herd health problems for preparing individual CCRA work, and develop the problem’s solving plan. Students must analyse independently results of clinical and laboratory examination of the patients (on farm visits, FVM clinic); independently develop a treatment and prevention plan; independently prepare and present the Power Point presentation of CCRA work.
Students' knowledge and skills are assessed in accordance with the procedures specified in the tasks of the practical works.
The tests, CCRA work with a “Power point” presentation and the final exam are evaluated in accordance with the 10 points system scale criteria indicated in the LBTU Study Regulations.
The final grade of the exam consists of 30% of the KEGA work grade and 70% of the exam grade.
1. Radostits O.M., Gay C.C., Hinchcliff K.W., Constable P.D. A text book of the diseases of cattle, horses, sheep, pigs and goats. - 10nd ed. - Edinburg: Saunders, Elsevier, 2008. 1548 p.
2. Radostitis O. M. Herd Health: Food Production Animal Medicine. 3rd Edition, Saunders, 2001. 885 p.
3. Radositis O.M., Blood D.C., Gay C.C. Veterinary Medicine. 10-th edition- Bailliere Tindall, 2006.- 1435 p.
4. Large Animal Internal Medicine/ ed. Bradford P. Smith. 46h Edition, Williams & Wilkins. 2002. 1735 p
5. Equine Internal Medicine. 4th edition. S. Reed, W. Bayly, D. Sellon. Saunders, 2017.
6. Equine Medicine, Surgery and Reproduction. 2nd edition. T. Mair, S. Love, J. Schumacher, R. Smith, G. Frazer. Saunders, 2011.
7. Equine Respiratory diseases. B. Rush, T. Mair. Wiley-Blackwell, 2008.
8. Respiratory Diseases of the Horse. L. Couetil, j. Hawkin. CRC press, 2013.
9. Cardiology of the Horse. 2nd edition. C. Marr, M. Bowen. Saunders, 2010
1. Kahn M.C., Line S. The Merck Veterinary Manual. 2010
2. Meyer D., Harvey J.W. Veterinary Laboratory Medicine: Interpretation and Diagnosis. 3rd ed. 2004. – 532 lpp
1.Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine - Wiley Blackwell, ISSN:1939-1676
2.The Veterinary Journal, ISSN:1090-0233
3. Equine Veterinary Education. Wiley Blackwell, ISSN:2042-3292
4. Equine Veterinary Journal. Wiley Blackwell, ISSN:2042-3306
Compulsory course of second cycle professional higher education study programme Veterinary medicine