Terminology in Animal Science

Poultry and Livestock Terms

1. POULTRY - a collective term for all domestic birds rendering economic service to man.
2. Domesticated animals are those that can live and multiply freely under the care of man.
3. FOWL - generally is a term applied to all species specifically, applied to designate mature domestic cocks and
hens. Poultry can refer also to the dressed carcass of fowls.
4. POULTRY SPECIES - kinds of birds that are included in the term poultry (chicken, ducks, quails, turkeys, pigeons,
geese, etc.
5. AVERAGE LIVEWEIGHT - average weight (in live form) of chicken during harvest/market age.
6. BEAK - the projecting mouth part of the chicken and turkey, consisting of upper and lower mandibles; organ of
prehension.
7. BILL - the projecting mouth of waterfowls, consisting of upper and lower mandibles.
8. BREEDER - general term that designate the poultry raiser who produces fowls for any special purpose with the
object of improving their value or in conformity with an agreed standard of excellence. The same term can be
used to mean the animals used for breeding.
9. BREED - a race of domestic fowls which maintains distinctive characteristic shape, growth, temperament, and
shell colors of egg produced. Breed is a broader term than variety. Breed includes varieties, example: Barred,
White and Buff varieties of Plymouth Rock breed.
10. BROILER - meat type chicken commonly grown up to 35-42 days and weighing 1.5-2.0 kgs. liveweight.
11. BROODER - a place where young chicks/duckling are cared for after hatching until they have grown to a point
where they no longer need additional heat.
12. CAPON - caponized cockerels; usually grown up to 4 months and weigh up to 3 kgs with more improve quality of
meat.
13. CHICKEN - the most popular poultry species; different from turkeys, ducks, quails, geese, etc.
14. CHICK - young domestic chicken while in the downy stage.
15. CLUTCHES - group of eggs laid for successive days.
16. COCK/ROOSTER - a male fowl one-year old or over.
17. COCKEREL - a male fowl less than one-year old.
18. COMB - made of vascularized tissue growing on top of fowl’s head. This serves as an ornamental function, signs
of status and condition of the male and for heat dissipation. The standard varieties of comb are: single, rose,
pea, V-shaped, strawberry, cushion and the butter cup; all others being modification of these.
19. CROP - the receptacle in which a fowl’s food is accumulated before it passes to the gizzard.
20. CULLS old hens that had passed their usefulness for commercial egg production.
21. DEBEAKING - cutting part of the upper and lower mandibles with the use of electrically controlled cauterizing
blade having a temperature of 815°F to destroy the tissue responsible to generate beak growth. This is done to
prevent cannibalism.
22. DOWN - the First covering of a chick whose major function is of insulation.
23. DRAKE - a male of the duck family.
24. DUBBING - cutting of the comb, wattles, or earlobes , so as to leave the head smooth.
25. DUCKLING -the young of the duck family in the downy stage of plumage.
26. FEED CONVERSION RATIO - volume of feed necessary to produce a kilogram gain in weight.
27. HATCHING - the process where the fully developed embryo (chick) breaks out of the eggs.
28. HATCHERY - a place where the facilities and process of incubation and hatching is done.
29. HARVEST RECOVERY - the number or volume of chicken sold/marketed based on the number of day old chicks
raised.
30. GANDER - male goose
31. GOOSE HEN - mature female goose
32. INCUBATION - period (in day) where embryonic development takes place outside the body of the hen.
 33. LAYER - egg type or duaI-type 6 months old female that lays eggs. MORBIDITY RATE number of chicken afflicted
by disease.
34. MORBIDITY RATE - number of chicken that died based on the total number of chickens raised.
35. OVIPOSITION - act of laying egg.
36. OVULATION - mature ova released from the ovary which is affected by hormonal secretion (LH).
37. PLUMAGE - the feathers of a fowl.
38. POULT - the young of a domestic turkey; the term is properly applied until sex can be distinguished, when they
are called cockerels and pullets.
39. PULLET - female fowl 5-6 months of age intended for egg production.
40. PULLET DUCK - a female duck less than 6 months old.
41. PRIMARIES - the longest feathers of a wing, growing between the pinions and secondary’s, hidden when wing is
folded, otherwise known as flight feathers.
42. QUILL - the hollow, horny, basal part of stem of a feather.
43. SECONDARIES - long, large quill feathers that grow between the first and second joints of the wing, nearest to
the body, that are visible when the wing is folded.
44. SQUAB young pigeon
45. SHANK - the portion of a fowl’s leg below the hock, exclusive of the foot and toes.
46. SINGLE COMB - a comb consisting of a single, fleshy, serrated formation extending from the beak backward over
the crown of the head
47. SQUABS young pigeon
48. STRAIN - a family of any variety of poultry that possesses and reproduces with mark regularity, common
individual characters which distinguish it from other families of the same variety
49. VARIETY - a subdivision of a breed, a term used to distinguish fowls having the standard shape and other
characteristics of the breed to which they belong but differing in colors of plumage, shape of combs, etc., from
other groups of the same breed.
50. WATTLE - the pendant growth at the side and base of the beak.
51. WEB OF FEET - the flat skin beside the toes.
52. WEB (web of feather) the flat portion of a feather, made up of a series of barbs on either side of shaft.
53. WEB 0F WINGS - the triangular skin attaching the three joints of the wings, visible when the wings is extended.

Swine Production Terms

1. Anestrus - a period during which a female does not come into heat(estrus) and so will not allow herself to be
bred.
2. Atresia ani = a defect involving close rectum.
3. Average backfat thickness - the thickness of fat over the loin muscle of a live pig measured ultrasonically at the
mid-back and loin, adjusted to a live weight of 90 kg.
4. Barrow - a male swine, castrated (testicles removed) before reaches sexual maturity.
5. Boar - uncastrated male swine usually kept for breeding.
6. Conception rate - the percentage of female conceiving in each estrous cycle compared to the number that were
bred.
7. Creep - a separate area of a farrowing pen accessible only to young, unweaned animals, and not their dams.
High protein, palatable feed for the little pigs up to weaning is provided in the creep area.
8. Crossbreed - a group of animals produced by inter-breeding two pure but different breed or strains.
9. Cryptorchidism - a defect involving the failure of one or both testicles to descend to the scrotal sac.
10. Dam - female parent, mother of an animal.
11. Docking - removal of a portion of the tail by cutting to minimize tail biting among pigs.
12. Dry sow - sow which is not milking; an inbred or not pregnant female.
13. Drying off - ending a sow’s lactation period by weaning her piglets.
14. Estrus (or heat) - the period of the reproductive cycle during which the female is sexually responsive to the
male.
15. Farm or herd efficiency - refers to the amount of feed consumed by all animal in the herd for every unit of five
animal sold.
16. Farrow - to give birth to young pigs.
17. Farrowing - crate a metal stall used to confine the movement of the sow during farrowing.
18. Farrowing index - refers to the average frequency of farrowing of a sow on a yearly basis.
19. Farrowing or litter interval - refers to the period from the birth of one litter to the birth of the succeeding litter.
20. Feed Conversion Efficiency (FCE) - the amount of feed required to produce a unit of weight gain in a growing
animal.
21. Feeder - pig a pig that has been weaned and started on purely solid feed and is being fed to market weight. A
feeder pig is generally older than 8 weeks and weighs at least 20 kg.

22. Finishing - the final stage of growth of a hog prior to slaughter. A finishing pigs starts the period at a 50 kg and
reaches a market weight of 90 kg.
23. Flushing - increasing the daily feed intake of gilts for 14 days prior to breeding. Flushing can increase the number
of eggs ovulated and therefore the number of ova fertilized.
24. Gestation - pregnancy.
25. Gilt - a young female swine usually kept for breeding and one that has not yet given birth.
26. Grade a domestic animal with one parent 3 pure breed and the other an inferior breed.
27. Hand - mating a mating system where females in heat are brought individually to a boar for mating.
28. Heritability - the portion of observable difference between individuals that is caused by their genetic makeup.
29. Heterosis - the increased vigor and livability displayed by crossbred pigs.
30. Hog - refers to the domestic swine of either sex especially weighing more than 50 kgs.
31. Hog tie - to tie together the feet of a hog.
32. Hybrid vigor - improved performance in growth rate and reproduction seen in crossbred individual as compared
to their straight bred parents.
33. Inbreeding - the interbreeding of closely related individual to preserve and fix desirable characters and to
eliminate unfavorable characters from a stock.
34. lnguinal hernia - this is a condition in female parallel to scrotal hernia in boars, involving the escape of the
intestines through the inguinal rings.
35. Lactation - milk production in sows following farrowing and lasting until the piglets are weaned.
36. Litter - a group of pigs belonging to one gestating; refers to the offspring at one birth of a multiparous animal
like swine.
37. Litter Interval - refers to the period from the birth of one litter to the birth of the succeeding litter. This is
sometimes referred to as farrowing interval.
38. Littermate - refers to one of the piglets in a litter in relation to the other pigs belonging to the same gestation.
39. Litter size - refers to the number of pigs farrowed or weaned from one gestation.
40. Litter weight - refers to the collective weight usually at birth and at weaning of the pigs belonging to one
gestation.
41. Multiparous sow - a female which has farrowed 2 or more litter and sometimes referred to as an old sow.
42. Open sow - a sow whose litter has been weaned but which has not yet been bred or is not pregnant. Good
breeding efficiency depend on low number of open sows in the herd.
43. Parity refers to the number of litters a sow or gilt has had.
44. Pen - mating a breeding system whereby a boar is allowed to un with a pen of sow or gilts to breed then
indiscriminately whenever they come into heat, breeding record are difficult to maintain with this system.
45. Pig - a broad term which usually refers to a young swine not yet sexually mature.
46. Placenta (afterbirth) - the three membranes which surround the fetuses during pregnancy and which supply the
developing baby pigs with nutrients and oxygen from the sow’s blood stream. The fluids between placental
membranes allows pregnancy diagnosis using an ultrasonic machine.
47. Polytocous - a litter bearing animal which gives birth to more than one individual a time.
48. Pork - refers to fresh meat as flesh to swine.
49. Porker - a young pig fattened for table use as fresh pork.
 50. Primiparous - sow a female which has farrowed only once. it is sometime referred to a young sow.
51. Purebreed - a group of animal bred from members of a recognized breed, strain or kind without a mixture of
other bloodline over many generations and possess distinctive characteristic.
52. Rectal prolapsed - refers to the falling down or slipping of a portion of the return from its original position.
53. Ridging (cryptorchid) - a male pig with one testicle retained in the abdominal cavity which cannot be removed at
castration. Ridging are discounted to 67 market index because packers feed that hormones produced by the
testicle might cause boar taint in the meat.
54. Scours - a yellow-white, watery diarrhea in piglets normally caused by E. coli bacteria. Dehydrated piglets will die
in a matter of hour if not treated promptly with antibiotics. Sanitation and vaccination will prevent or minimized
the effect of scour.
55. Scrotal hernia - this involves the weakening of the musculature of the inguinal ring and other structures,
allowing the intestine to pass into the scrotum.
56. Selection - the process of choosing replacement animals for the herd based on their genetic potential to
improve herd performance.
57. Service - the breeding or mating process.
58. Shoat - a young hog usually less than one-year old and weighing less than 60 kilogram.
59. Saw - an adult female usually kept for breeding and has farrowed at least once.
60. Stag a male swine, castrated after sexual maturity.
61. Stillbirth - refers to a dead fetus at birth.
62. Strain - straight bred pigs which has been bred and selected for certain heritable characteristics.
63. Sty - pen enclosed housing for swine usually made of light materials.
64. Suckling - a young pig under the care of the darn.
65. Swine - a term used collectively for any of the stout bodied, short legged, omnivorous mammals (family suidae)
with a long mobile snout.
66. Terminal sire - in a three way crossbreeding system, the boar which is used last in the rotation. All pigs bred by
the terminal sire are sent to market.
67. Umbilical hernia - this involves a weakened supportive musculature at the umbilicus, allowing the intestines to
protrude into the orifice.
68. Uterine prolapsed - refers to the falling down or slipping of a portion of the uterus from its original position.
69. Ventral hernia - an inherited defect occurring between abnormally arranged or weak muscle of the abdomen.
70. Weaner - weaned pig of approximately eight to ten weeks of age, weighing between 15 to 20 kg.
71. Weaning to conception interval - refers to the intervening period from the end of the suckling period to the
start of the next pregnancy.
72. Weanling - refers to a young pig either sex which has been separated from the mother at the end of the
lactation period.

Cattle Terminology

1. Acaricide - a substance or preparation used in killing ticks and mites.

2. Anthelmintic - a drug administered as drench, bolus, injectable or mixed in feed to get rid of gastrointestinal
parasites.
3. Breed - a group of animals processing certain well-defmed distinguished characteristics and having the ability to
reproduce these characteristics in their offspring with reasonable degree of surety.
4. Breeder stock - animal intended for breeding purposes.
5. Breeding herd - these are dry cows and heifers ready for breeding.
6. Bull a male breeding cattle.
7. Bull herd -the breeding males used for breeding the cows and heifers.
8. Bulling - when a cow tries to ride other cows or when she stands if others try to her. A ”bulling” cow is in heat.
9. Calf - young cattle of either sex under one year.
10. Calf crop - the number of calves born.
11. Calving - act of giving birth in cows.
12. Calving interval - the average length of time in days between successive calving.
13. Castration - removal of the testis from the scrotum or any method that would render the testis functionless.
14. Cattle (oxen) - general term for any class of animals of bovine family, genus Bos.
15. Cercaria - infective larval stage of fluke in the snail host.
16. Colostrum - milk produced during the first 3-5 days after parturition which contains high protein, vitamins and
minerals, and antibodies that supply essential immune bodies to the newly born animals.
17. Concentrate - feeds which contains less than 18% crude fiber with high digestible nutrients.
18. Conception - pregnancy.
19. Cow - mature female cattle that has given birth.
20. Crossbreeding - the mating of two different breeds.
21. Dressing percentage -the percent which the weight of the chilled carcass is of the liveweight. 
22. Enzootic - disease already known to prevail in areas, either indigenous or exogenous.
23. Estrous cycle (heat cycle) - interval from one estrus to the next estrus.
24. Estrus (heat period) - the sexual period in females when they are receptive to mating.
25. Extraction rate - relative proportion of the number of cattle slaughtered to the total cattle population.
26. Fattener - feeder or steer herd these consist of those ready for market and the growing cattle.
27. Feeders - animals of sufficient age, weight, and condition that they are immediately placed in the fattening lot.
28. Feeder stock - cattle which is fattened prior to slaughtering.
29. Feedlot - area with its physical facilities used for cattle fattening.
30. Fertilization - union of egg and sperm cells.
31. Finishing/fattening - deposition of unused energy as fat within the body tissues.
32. Flukecide - drug used as drench, bolus, injectable or mixed in feed to get rid of flukes.
33. Flushing - fed livestock with plenty of feeds to make them gain weight just before or during breeding season.
34. Grassland - a land or an area which the natural dominant plant form is grass.
35. Gestation - pregnancy; period from fertilization to birth.
36. Grade - an animal produced by mating a purebred sire with a female of less than pure bred.
37. Hand feeding - system of feeding wherein feeds are brought to the animals.
38. Hay - cut and dried forage for livestock feed.
39. Heifer - young female cattle usually under three years old that has not yet given birth.
40. Heifer herd - composed of heifers not yet ready for breeding.
41. Herd - any number of cattle under one management, maintained in one premise which are allowed to associate
or come in contact with one another.
42. Heterosis - hybrid vigor, the increase vigor of F1 crosses over the average of the parent breeds.
43. Inbreeding - the mating of closely related animals such as brothers and sisters.
44. Marbling - deposition of intra-muscular fat.
45. Parturition - a general term for giving birth.
46. Post-partum - the period after birth.
47. Pregnant herd - these are pregnant females that are normally grouped with the breeding herd during the
breeding season.
48. Proven sire - bull which has sufficient data to show its good genetic potential and excellent breeding
performance.
49. Purebred - an animal of pure breeding eligible for registration in its receptive breed association.
50. Ration - feed allowance for one animal for 24 hours (1 day).
51. Replacement stock - yearling heifer or bull raised primarily for breeding purposes.
52. Roughage - feed which contain at least 18% crude fiber and low digestible nutrient.
53. Shrink - a loss in weight from feed lot to market. Difference in feedlot or off-range weight and selling weight or
slaughter weight (usually in percent).
54. Silage - any fermented feed material stored in a silo for feeding.
55. Silent heat - a condition where in animals are physiologically ”in heat” but have not shown any visible signs.
56. Silo - a structure usually sealed when full to exclude air and used for storing silage.
57. Soilage - forage cut and fed fresh to the animals; also called green chop, soiling or cut and carry.
58. Stag - castrated male cattle operated after the secondary sex characters have been developed.
59. Steer - castrated male cattle operated before the sex characters have develop.
60. Stocker - cattle purchased for utilization of considerable roughage from growth prior to fattening.
61. Tethering - restraining an animal with a rope or chain so as to allow limited movement.
 62. Upgrading - improving the genetic potential of an animal by using purebred sire on native animal.

Dairy Cattle Production Terms

1. Adrenaline (Epinephrene) - also called ”fear” or ”fright” hormone, released by the adrenals as a result of
nervous stimulation such as rough treatment of the cow, loud noises, pain, and irritation.
2. Artificial insemination - the deposition of semen into the reproductive tract (usually the cervix or uterus) of the
female by a technician.
3. Blind quarter - a quarter with its passage of milk into the teat is entirely closed by a membrane.
4. Breed - a group of animals descended from common ancestors and having certain distinguishing characteristics
not common to other members of the same species.
5. Breech - presentation a breech presentation at birth is one in which the rear portion of the fetus is presented
first. (Breech, the buttocks)
6. Bull - a sexually mature entire male of cattle.
7. Capacitation – the phenomenon in which the spermatozoa must be exposed to the secretions of the female
tract for a certain period before they acquire the capacity to fertilize eggs.
8. Casein - the major protein of milk.
9. Cod - scrotal area of steer remaining after castration.
10. Condition - the degree of fatness of an animal. With dairy or breeding animals, fatness is prejudicial to their
functional activities.
11. Constitution - the size and quality of the vital organs of an animal determine its constitutional vigor. Strong
constitution refers to the superior capacity of the chest and barrel, which means that the lungs, heart, and
digestive organs are well developed.
12. Curd - coagulated milk.
13. Dry cow - a cow that is not presently producing milk.
14. Dry the cow - stop milking her, to let her body replenish fat and protein depleted by previous lactation.
15. Dystocia - difficult birth where the female will require some assistance at parturition.
16. Foremilk - the first few streams drawn from the ulcer, usually contains a larger proportion of bacteria than the
last milk, called the stripping.
17. Freshen - to give birth to young and initiate milk production.
18. Hand mating - bringing the female to a male for service (breeding), after which she is removed from the area
where the male is located.
19. Hard and slow milker - a cow with teat canal that is too small or the sphincter muscle too strong.
20. Homogenized - milk that has had the droplets broken into very small particles so that the milk fat stays in
suspension in the milk fluid.
21. Involution - the return of the uterus to its normal size after calving.
22. Lactation period - the time during which milk is produced.
23. Lactiferous - yielding or conveying milk, forming a milky fluid.
24. Lactose - milk sugar. When digested, it is broken down one molecule each of glucose and galactose.
25. Mamma (pl., mammae) - mammary gland, a gland for secreting milk.
26. Mammal - warm blooded animals whose offspring are fed with milk secreted by the femaIe mammary gland.
27. Mastitis - the inflammation of the udder or mammary gland.
28. Meaty udder - one in which the amount of connective tissue is excessive (fibrous).
29. Milk - the secretions of the mammary glands that suckle their young.
30. Milk secretion - the synthesis and release of milk by the single layer epithelial cells, lined the inner surface of the
alvelus.
31. Milk let-down - the squeezing of milk out of the udder tissue into the gland and tatcisterns.
32. Oxytocin - the milk Iet-down hormone, released from the posterior pituitary gland after a stimulus such as
washing the udder, manipulating the teats, the nursing of a calf, or other factors that the cows relate to milking.
33. Pasteurization - the process of heating milk to 161°F and holding it at that temperature. For 15 seconds to
destroy pathogenic microorganisms.
34. Pedigree - the record of the ancestry of an animal.
 35. Performance testing - the evaluation of an animal on the basis of its own record.
36. Persistency of lactation - the degree to which lactation is maintained.
37. Presentation - the position of the fetus i the uterus at the time of delivery, with reference to the part presenting
itself at the mouth of the uterus (e.g an arm of breech presentation).
38. Prolapse - protrusion of an organ as of uterus due to abnormal birth.
39. Proven sire - bull whose production-transmitting ability has been established or demonstrated through the
performance of its offspring.
40. Purebred - an animal that meets the standard of a recognized breed and whose ancestors are registered in the
book of that breed (also full blood straight bred).
41. Quality - this is denoted by fine, pliable skin, silky hair, fine bones and general refinement. An animal of quality is
relatively free from wrinkles of the skin.
42. Settle - to impregnate (a female).
43. Solids-non-fat - milk's total solid minus fat. It includes protein, lactose and minerals
44. Strip - to remove the last strip from (a cow) with a stroking movement of the thumb and the forefinger.
45. Stripping - the last portion of milk drawn during milking; is highest in fat and solids non-fat.
46. Temperament - this has reference to nervous structure. An animal of nervous temperament is active and
industrious.

Goat Production Terms

1. Abortion - premature birth.

2. Ad Iibitum - unlimited or liberal feeding.
3. Afterbirth - the placenta and other membrane expelled after delivery of the fetus or young.
4. Antibiotic - a substance produced by molds, which inhibits growth or kills bacteria.
5. Anthelmintic - drugs administered as drench, bolus, or mixed in feed to get rid of internal parasites, such as
worms and flukes.
6. Browse plants - shrubs or trees nibbled by goats.
7. Buck - a mature male goat.
8. Buck kid - a male kid.
9. Bypass protein - dietary protein, which has passed or escaped the rumen undegraded.
10. Castration - a surgical operation that removes the primary sex organs (testes).
11. Cauterize - to burn with a hot iron.
12. Chevon - goat meat.
13. Concentrates - grains or feeds that are low (less than 18%) in crude fiber, but high in in digestible nutrient
content.
14. Conception - pregnancy.
15. Docile - easy to manage or handle; tamed.
16. Doe - a mature female goat that has kidded or given birth.
17. Doeling - a mature female goat that has not yet kidded.
18. Doe kid - a female kid.
19. Drench - to give liquid medicine to animals by pouring down the throat of the animal.
20. Emasculator - an instrument used in castration.
21. Enteritis- inflammation of the intestine.
22. Excreta - waste matter such as urine, feces, and sweat expelled by the body of an animal.
23. Fodder - feed materials for ruminant animals, either fresh or dried, but usually coarse.
24. Forage - feed materials for ruminants, usually with lower nutritive value and digestibility than concentrates.
25. Foreleg - the front legs of quadrupeds or animals with four legs.
26. Forequarters - the front region or part of the body of a quadruped, or four-legged animal comprising the
shoulder and the chest regions.
27. Freshen - to kid or give birth to a young.
28. Frog - the soft part at the center of the hoof.
29. General herd - herd composed of all animals in the farm; bucks, castrated males, dry does, and weanlings.
 30. Heel - back of the foot.
31. Hindquarters - the back or posterior region of the animals, including the parts supported by the hind legs.
32. Hooks - the joint in the hind legs of an animal which corresponds to the knee.
33. Hoof - the entire part of the foot of the animal covered by the horny covering.
34. In-kid - pregnant.
35. Kid - a young goat.
36. Kidding - same as freshening or parturition; giving birth.
37. Lactation period - the period during which the dam produces milk from the time of delivery of her young.
38. Maiden doe or virgin doe - a mature female goat ready for breeding.
39. Meconium - first fecal matter of the newly born animal.
40. Muzzle - the projecting part of the animal head including the mouth, jaws, and nose.
41. Nutrient - applied to any feed constituent, or group of feed constituents of the same general chemical
composition that aids in the support of life.
42. Ovulation - shedding of the egg from the ovary.
43. Parturition - the general term for giving birth.
44. Polled - naturally hornless.
45. Postpartum - the period after birth.
46. Postpartum breeding - mating after calving or when uterus and other parts of the reproductive system have
returned to normal.
47. Scours - diarrhea.
48. Stocky - thick-set; sturdy or firm built.
49. Tan -  to treat or change hide or animal skin into leather.
50. Teat - nipple of the udder; the protuberance of an udder through which the milk passes out.
51. Testes - primary sex organ of the male where sperms and male hormones are produced.
52. Tethering - restraining the animal with a rope or chain to allow limited movement.
53. Tunica vagina - is thin membrane covering the testes.
54. Viscera - soft interior organs in the body cavities that include the intestines, heart, lungs, etc.
55. Vulva - outer genital organ of the female animal; the opening into the vagina.
56. Wattle - fleshy lobe or appendage hanging down from the throat or chin of goats.

Animal Health Care Terminology

1. Agglutination - a reaction in which particles (such as red blood cells, bacteria, virus particles, or rickettsia)
suspended in liquid collect into clumps or floccules with the loss of motility in the case of flagellated or ciliated
organisms. This occurs when the suspension is treated with certain substances that combine with the surface of
the particles.
2. Anaphylactic shock - an exaggerated reaction to foreign protein which sometimes follows parenteral injections,
stings, and the like which is frequently encountered on administration of a second dose of a vaccine.
3. Anesthetic - anything (e.g., drugs, gas and the like) that makes a part of or the entire individual to lose partially
or totally its sensibility.
4. Anthelmintic - a substance used to expel or destroy parasitic worms especially of the Intestine.
5. Anthelmintic resistance - a state when there is greater frequency of individuals within a population able to
tolerate doses of a compound than in a normal population of the same species.
6. Antibacterial action - similar to bactericidal action. The process of killing or destroying bacteria, as opposed to
bacteriostatic action which is inhibiting the growth of microorganisms.
7. Antibiotic - a substance produced by molds which inhibit growth or kills bacteria.
8. Antibody - any of various globulins normally present or produced in response to infection or administration of
suitable antigens or haptens. This combines specifically with antigens (as bacteria, toxins, or foreign red blood
cells) and neutralizes toxins: agglutinate bacteria or cells; and precipitates soluble antigens.
9. Anti-parasitic compounds - are agents that are capable of expelling and/or killing either internal or external
parasites or both.
10. Antitoxin - an antibody formed in the body as a result of the introduction of a toxin that stimulates its
production. This is produced for medical purposes by ingestion of animals with gradually increased doses of a
toxin or toxoid. The resulting serum is used to counteract the same toxin in other animals.
11. Attenuated vaccine - is a vaccine preparation wherein the virulence of its microorganism contents has been
reduced, e.g., by serial passage in animals other than the normal host species.
12. Avirulent - incapable of causing disease.
13. Bacterin - suspension of killed or attenuated bacteria when injected into a living body stimulates the
development of immunity.
14. Bivalent vaccine - an immunizing agent consisting of two strains of the same microorganism.
15. Booster dose - is the subsequent administration of a vaccine at proper intervals after the first injection to
increase and/or make the protection stronger.
16. Broad spectrum antibiotic - an antibiotic that has a wide range of activity against different types of
microorganisms.
17. Broad spectrum dewormer - a dewormer that has the capability of destroying or killing different types of
parasites.
18. Carcinogenic - producing or tending to produce cancer.
19. Charred - burned to ashes.
20. Chemoprophylaxis - the prevention of infectious disease by use of chemical agents.
21. Chemotherapeutic compounds - are chemical substances that are used for the treatment of infectious diseases.
22. Chemotheraphy - the treatment of infectious disease by use of chemical agents.
23. Cold compress - procedure of applying ice packs to a particular bleeding/swollen are for definite period of time
with a certain pressure on it.
24. Complete fixation - an approach usually done in cases of fracture to temporarily immobilize particular parts of
the body to enable complete approximation of the fractured edges.
25. Cytotoxic - a substance having a lethal effect on cells.
26. Decoction - a liquid preparation made by boiling a medicinal plant with water.
27. Dehydrated - a state of deficiency in total body fluid volume.
28. Diluent - an inert fluid used for reconstituting vaccines or antibiotic powder preparations.
29. Disease agent - any physical, chemical, electromagnetic, biological agent capable of causing disease.
30. Disinfection - a substance which inhibits or destroys microorganisms and their spores.
31. Electrolytes - a substance (an acid, base or salt) which when dissolved in a suitable solvent (as water) or when
fused becomes an ionic conductor.
32. Frothy bloat - a condition occurring in ruminants which is characterized accumulation of gas interspersed with
fluid causing foaming.
33. Gag - something thrust into the mouth to keep it open; a medical device for keeping the mouth open.
34. Genetic potential - desired traits that are possessed by an individual which is acquired from one or both parents.
35. Hemagglutination - aggregation of clumping of red blood cells.
36. Hemolytic enzymes - substances that are capable of destroying the red blood corpuscles with the concomitant
release of hemoglobin.
37. Hiplock - enlargement between the hips of the mother and that of the offspring that would lead to difficult
birth.
38. Hygiene - conditions or practices conducive to health.
39. Hypersensitivity -abnormal response to an antigen, drug, or other agents, e.g., allergy.
40. lmmunoresponsive cells - are cells of the blood and the reticuloendotheliai system capable of responding to
antigenic stimuli.
41. lnactivated vaccine - vaccine wherein the disease inducing ability of its microorganism content has been
destroyed.
42. Inflammatory cells- are cells of the body (white blood cells and RES) that migrate to sites of tissue injury to
destroy the injurious agent and to help in the healing process.
43. Intermediate host - is an organism (mammals or arthropods, insects and the like) which serves as biological
carrier of disease inducing agent.
44. Intravenous administration - the introduction of solutions/drugs into the circulation via the veins.
 45. Jugular furrows - are the grooves along the ventral region of the neck which correspond to the location of the
jugular veins.
46. Live vaccine - a vaccine consisting of live microorganisms which multiply in the body cells and tissues and induce
the body to produce antibodies.
47. Macrophage - a mononuclear white blood cells or histocytes which phagocytize (eat up) particular matter.
48. Mixed vaccine - a vaccine consisting of two or more different organisms.
49. Modified vaccine - a vaccine wherein the live organism content of an antigen that has capability to produce
disease has been altered.
50. Monovalent vaccine - an agent consisting of a single strain of an organism.
51. Necrotic tissues - dead tissues.
52. Oxytocin - a substance that stimulates the contraction of uterine muscles and the ejection of milk.
53. Paratenic host - organism that harbors the infective stage of a parasite but no further development takes place
and transmits the infection to the susceptible host.
54. Parenteral administration - the administration of drugs or compounds in routes other than the oral route, e.g.,
IM. and IV.
55. Peracute - sudden occurrence.
56. Permeability - the ability to penetrate cell membranes.
57. Poultice - a soft mass (pounded leaves, clay) usually heated and spread on cloth for application to sores,
inflamed areas, or other lesions to supply moist, warmth, relieve pain, or act as counter-irritant or antiseptic.
58. Reconstitution - the process of adding diluent to dehydrated preparations, e.g., freeze dried vaccines.
59. Rehydration - the process of restoring body fluids lost in dehydration.
60. Rumenotomy - incision into the rumen.
61. Sedation - inducing a relaxed easy state by use of sedatives.
62. Subcutaneous - injection the administration of drugs/compounds just beneath the skin.
63. Transmissible disease - a disease that spreads from one host to another (same or different species).
64. Trivalent vaccine - a vaccine containing a mixture of three different strains/biotypes of the same organism.
65. Tympany - the excessive accumulation of gas in the rumen.
66. Vaccinates - vaccinated animals.
67. Vaccination - the process of administering vaccine.
68. Vaccine - a preparation of live/dead/inactivated/modified/attenuated organisms de= signed to induce immunity
to a particular disease.
69. Vector -  an agent (usually arthropods) capable of transmitting a pathogen from one organism to another either
mechanically as carrier or biologically by playing a specific role in the life cycle of the pathogen.
70. Virulent - capable of causing disease.

Prepared by:

WILNER R. LEYSON, MS
Associate Professor 5

College of Agriculture, Forestry & Environmental Sciences