Ante mortem inspection:
Antemortem inspection identifies animals not fit for human consumption. Here animals that are down, disabled, diseased, or dead (known as 4D animals) are removed from the food chain and labeled “condemned.” Other animals showing signs of being sick are labeled “suspect” and are segregated from healthy animals for more thorough inspection during processing procedures.
Some of the major objectives of antemortem inspection are as follows:
- to screen all animals destined to slaughter.
- to ensure that animals are properly rested and that proper clinical information, which will assist in the disease diagnosis and judgement, is obtained.
- to reduce contamination on the killing floor by separating the dirty animals and condemning the diseased animals if required by regulation.
- to ensure that injured animals or those with pain and suffering receive emergency slaughter and that animals are treated humanely.
- to identify reportable animal diseases to prevent killing floor contamination.
- to identify sick animals and those treated with antibiotics, chemotherapeutic agents, insecticides and pesticides.
- to require and ensure the cleaning and disinfection of trucks used to transport livestock.
Things to be considered during AM examination:
Antemortem examination should be done within 24 hours of slaughter and repeated if slaughter has been delayed over a day. Both sides of an animal should be examined at rest and in motion. Animals affected with extensive bruising or fractures require emergency slaughter. Animals showing clinical signs of disease should be held for veterinary examination and judgement and should be segregated from the healthy animals. The disease and management history should be recorded and reported on an A/M inspection card.
Other information should include:
- Owner’s name
- The number of animals in the lot and arrival time
- Species and sex of the animal
- The time and date of antemortem inspection
- Clinical signs and body temperature if relevant
- Reason why the animal was held
- Signature of inspector
Antemortem inspection should be carried out in adequate lighting where the animals can be observed both collectively and individually at rest and motion. The general behaviour of animals should be observed, as well as their nutritional status, cleanliness, signs of diseases and abnormalities. Some of the abnormalities which are checked on antemortem examination include:
- Abnormalities in respiration:
- If the breathing pattern is different from normal the animal should be segregated as a suspect.
- Abnormalities in behaviour:
- walking in circles or show an abnormal gait or posture
- pushing its head against a wall
- charging at various objects and acting aggressively
- showing a dull and anxious expression in the eyes
- Abnormalities in gait
- associated with pain in the legs, chest or abdomen or is an indication of nervous disease.
- Abnormalities in posture:
- tucked up abdomen
- animal may stand with an extended head and stretched out feet.
- animal may also be laying and have its head turned along its side.
- swellings (abscesses) seen commonly in swine
- enlarged joints
- umbilical swelling (hernia or omphalophlebitis)
- enlarged sensitive udder indicative of mastitis
- enlarged jaw (“lumpy jaw”)
- bloated abdomen
- Abnormal discharges or protrusions from the body:
- discharges from the nose, excessive saliva from the mouth, afterbirth
- protruding from the vulva, intestine
- protruding from the rectum (prolapsed rectum) or uterus
- protruding from the vagina (prolapsed uterus)
- growths on the eye and bloody diarrhoea
- Abnormal colour:
- black areas on horses and swine, red areas on light coloured skin (inflammation), dark blue areas on the skin or udder (gangrene).
- Abnormal odour
- abscess, a medicinal odour, stinkweed odour or an acetone odour of ketosis may be observed.
Since many abattoirs in developing countries have not accommodation station or yards for animals, Inspector’s antemortem judgement must be performed at the admission of slaughter animals.