Ontario Animal Health Network

What is  OAHN?

The Ontario Animal Health Network is a new program, focusing on early disease detection in animals so as to identify trends in animal health issues that require action. To do this, the program has created expert veterinary networks for each species or commodity. The Small Ruminant Expert Network (SREN) is comprised of six veterinarians representing Ontario Veterinary College, OMAFRA, the Animal Health Laboratory at the University of Guelph and three private practitioners each representing a geographic area of the province.

Veterinarians who provide service to small ruminant producers are surveyed quarterly about the diseases and issues seen in practice. Results from this survey, along with a summary of sheep and goat laboratory results, are discussed by SREN to detect important trends and emerging animal health issues. This information is distributed as a summary report with supportive educational materials to small ruminant veterinarians. A Producer Report, highlighting one disease/issue noted in the survey will also be distributed to sheep and goat producers. The overall goal of the network is to improve the health of the Ontario small ruminant flock and herd.

For more information please visit OAHN’s website, Facebook page, or Twitter.

OAHN Producer Reports

Summer 2018 – parasites, fecal testing, kid mortality
Spring 2018 – liver parasites, abortion storm, malignant Catarrahal fever
Winter 2017 – Campylobacter jejuni, carcass residues, adult mortality
Fall 2017- Postmortems, Copper Toxicity, Disease Update- North America
Spring/Summer 2017 – Feeding Late-cut Forage, Federal Changes Antimicrobial Use, Hemonchus Season
Winter 2016 – Clostridial Disease, Iodine Deficiency, Use of the Coxiella burnetii Vaccine
Fall 2016 – Things to Consider Before Sending Sheep and Goats to Slaughter
August 2016 – Dry Weather, Nitrate Poisoning, Toxic Plants
May 2016 – Listeriosis, Small Ruminant Adult Mortality Project and PID
Feb 2016 – Cache Valley Virus, Surveillance, Colostrum
Sept 2015 – Bluetongue surveillance from OAHN
Mar 2015 – Cold Weather, Stage of Production & Nutrition on Body Condition
Dec 2014 – Small Ruminant Infectious Abortions
Sept 2014 – Lamb/Kid Pneumonia