With Upper Cumberland fair season coming this June, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture is launching a campaign to remind livestock owners to check for diseases before taking them to a show.
State Veterinarian Dr. Samantha Beaty said livestock shows bring many animals from different farms together, increasing the risk of spreading contagious diseases. Beaty said livestock shows are robust in the Upper Cumberland, and livestock exhibitors must know if their livestock is good before bringing them to a show.
“If their animal is showing signs of clinical illness, they may be asked to leave, so it’s important to have that awareness ahead of time so that they’re able to determine if their animal is able to show and is healthy enough to show and to avoid, you know, being turned away from the show,” Beaty said.
Beaty said viral diseases such as pink eye, ringworm, warts, and even respiratory diseases like Swine Flu are often transmitted between livestock at shows. Beaty said the spread of these diseases could negatively impact the local agricultural industry.
“So, for the more minor ones, you know, pink eye and warts, you’re looking at things that are related to, you know, the cost of veterinary care or even breeding issues, that kind of thing,” Beaty said. “The ones that we worry about that are foreign animal diseases, which are unlikely here but could still happen, and we need to be vigilant, they could have a devastating economic impact on our ag industry and the food supply.”
Beaty said starting a few weeks before the show, livestock exhibitors should evaluate their livestock multiple times a day. Beaty said exhibitors must also have the animals examined by a veterinarian before the show.
“Now, it is part of the rules that every animal be examined by a veterinarian and get a certificate of veterinary inspection prior to a show, but those are good for 30 days if you’re from out of state and 90 days if you’re from in-state at an in-state show,” Beaty said. “So, it’s very possible that you have a certificate of veterinary inspection and your animal gets, you know, something happens later on in that 30 to 90 day window. So, that is part of that process.”
Beaty said if you notice something wrong with your livestock the day of a show, then you should not bring that animal. Beaty said you should reach out to a veterinarian if you notice something wrong a day or two before the show.
“You may want to reach out to a veterinarian and see if it’s something contagious to see if they would advise that you, you know, keep your animal at home,” Beaty said. “If you notice that you have a very obvious, you know, visible lesion like ringworm or a wart or something like that, regardless of that veterinary inspection, if a state animal health official or the show management can see it, they’re going to ask that person to turn around and take their animal home.”
Beaty said she encourages livestock exhibitors to visit the “Know Before You Show” website, which further explains the rules and animal diseases.