Glossary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Click on the links above for the appropriate letter or scroll down to it.
Thanks to Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary-3rd Edition for providing most of the definitions below.
A
Adulterant: any substance the lessens the purity or effectiveness of a substance.
Antimicrobial: an agent that kills bacteria or suppresses their multiplication and growth. This includes antibiotics and synthetic agents.
B
Biologic: a medicinal preparation made from living organisms and their products; these include serums, vaccines, etc.
Biological hazard: these include microbiological or zoonotic agents, such as bacteria, viruses, fungal, algal, protozoal, and insects as vectors.
BioSecurity: security from transmission of infectious diseases, parasites, and pests.
Body Conditioning Score (BCS): an assessment of the animal's weight for age and weight for height ratios, and it's relative proportions of muscle and fat; made by the eye.
Bovine Respiratory Disease: disease of the respiratory tract caused by a variety of agents such as upper respiratory tract diseases, diptheria, and pneumonia.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE): a prion disease of cattle, also known as mad cow disease; the occurrence of BSE in cattle outside the United Kingdom has been traced to either movement of cattle or contaminated feed.
C
Cauterize: to burn with a hot iron, electric current, fire, or a caustic, esp. for curative purposes.
CHC: chlorinated hydrocarbons; insecticidal substances which are no longer recommended for use on food animals because of their persistence in animal tissues and entry into the human food chain. Poisoning is manifested by nervous excitement, tremor, convulsions and death.
Chemical hazard: these include natural toxins, drug residues, such as violative levels of sulfonamides or antibiotics, pesticides and unapproved use of direct or indirect food or color additives.
D
DVM: Doctor of Veterinary (Animal) Medicine.
E
Efficacy: is equal to the magnitude of the maximal response.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): the government agency that sets tolerance levels for pesticides used in beef production.
Extra-lable use: use of an animal durg in a manner that is not in accordance with the approved drug labeling.
F
Fasciola hepatica: found in the liver parenchyma and bile ducts of sheep, cattle, and most other domesticated species and humans; often found in the lungs of cattle.
Feed additive: a substance added to swine rations to improve feed efficiency or to prevent or treat disease.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA): agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; the FDA is responsible for regulation of medicated animal feeds and most animal-health products.
Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS): a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that is responsible for inspecting all cattle and sanitation levels at packing plants.
G
Glycogen: a polysaccharide; the chief carbohydrate storage material in animals; it is formed and stored in the liver and muscles; also called animal starch.
H
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP): a system that identifies specific hazards and preventive measures for their control to minimize the risk of producing defective products and/or services.
Herbicide: a substance that destroys weeds; most have very low toxicity.
Haematobia irritans: found on cattle, occasionally other mammals; creates skin lesions around horns, and along neck and back, often invaded by screw-worms; transmits Stephanofilaria.
Horn/Heel flys: see Haematobia irritans.
I
Insecticide: an agent that kills insects; the toxicity of the insecticidal preparation may be greatly altered by the agents used as emulsifiers and solvents.
Intramuscular (IM): injections given into the muscle tissue.
Intranasal (IN): administration via nasal passage.
Intraperitoneal (IP): injections given into the abdominal cavity; only to be used upon DVM instruction and guidance as serious injury or death to animal may occur.
Intravenous (IV): injection given into a vein; only to be used upon DVM instruction and guidance as serious injury or death to animal may occur.
J
K
L
Liver flukes: see Fasciola hepatica.
M
Maximum residual level (MRL): maximum amount of drug that may be allowed in the animal's tissue at time of harvest that has been demonstrated to be of no-risk to public healthand has been approved by the FDA; also known as tissue tolerance level.
N
O
Organophosphates: term used to describe organophosphorous compounds; an organic ester of phosphoric or thiophosphoric acid; used in insecticides, fire-resistant hydraulic fluids, coolants, and lubricants; animals may be accidentally exposed; all organophosphates are poisonous.
Over-the-counter (OTC): animal health products that can be purchased lawfully without a Veterinary Feed Directive or prescription.
P
PCB: polychlorinated biphenyl; a family of highly toxic chemical compounds consisting of two benzene rings in which chlorine takes the place of two or more hydrogen atoms; known to cause skin diseases and suspected of causing birth defects and cancer.
Pesticide: a poison used to destroy pests of any sort.
Physical hazard: these include glass, metal or needle fragments.
Prescription drugs: drugs that can be obtained only by the means of a DVM prescription.
Q
R
S
Subcutaneous (SQ): injection given under the skin.
T
U
V
Vaccine: a suspension of attenuated or killed microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, or rickettsiae), administered for prevention, amelioration or treatment of infectious diseases.
Veterinary/Client/Patient Relationship (VCPR): a relationship that exists between a client and a DVM where the DVM has assumed the responsibility for making medical judgments regarding the health of the animals, has sufficient knowledge of the animals and is readily available for follow-up consultations.
Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD): a category of animal drugs created by the Animal Drug Availability Act of 1996. This category is specific for new/approved antimicrobial drugs used in the feed to treat disease. FDA determines which drug is a VFD drug. These drugs must be ordered by your veterinarian.
Violative drug residues: drugs remaining in animal tissues after harvest that exceed the levels allowed by the FDA.
W
Withdrawal time: length of time between the last day animals were given an animal-health product and their harvest.
X
Y
Z
Zoonotic: A disease of animals, such as Salmonellosis, E. coli, or Brucellosis, that can be transmitted to humans.
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