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ABVP Handbook

Study & Reading Guide

Examination Blueprint

Mentors-Swine Health

Certification Process

Entry Exam App.

 

Swine Health Management Study & Reading Guide

An ABVP certified swine practitioner should:

1. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the production parameters and economic parameters and their interactions in swine production units.
2. Be familiar with abnormal and normal disease levels and its affect on production. This would include current knowledge concerning etiology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, pathology, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and control measures.
3. Be familiar with various swine production systems and factors affecting productivity and profitability of swine herds in those systems.
4. Be familiar with various record systems that allow practitioners to collect and analyze data on herd performance, and the economics attached to such performance when compared to a data base. Be able to establish, implement, and evaluate herd health and production performance programs. Be familiar with targets and interference points on various performance monitors.
5. Be familiar with various components of herd health and production programs that would include but not be limited to:
   1. Herd reproductive performance and parameters;
   2. Herd economic production performance and parameters;
   3. Swine genetic programs, breeding programs, culling procedures evaluations (EBV's etc.);
   4. Carcass evaluation — packer kill sheets;
   5. Herd immunization and infectious disease control programs;
   6. Environment with relationship to health and productivity (buildings, manure handling systems, ventilation);
   7. Epidemiology;
   8. Pre-and post-harvest food safety issues, Pork Quality Assurance
   9. Regulations and regulating authorities as pertains to swine production;
   10. FDS, USDA, EPA, OSHA
   11. Secondary nutrient management (manure management)
   12. Biosecurity systems and the affects of risk management;
   13. Artificial insemination;
   14. Farm economics, financial planning, partial budgets, and decision analysis.
   15. Evaluation of experimental data, studies, critical reading of scientific literature.
Also, be sure to review the general study recommendations for all ABVP Practice Categories.

Reading:

Aspects of Swine Ecology - David Hollier

Color Atlas of Diseases and Disorders of the Pig. Smith, Taylor, Penny. ISU press, 1998

Diagnosis of Swine Diseases - Straw and Wilson

Diseases of Swine - Straw, DAllaire et al 2006

Essentials of Pig Anatomy - Sack Veterinary Textbooks, Ithaca, NY 1982

Managing Pig Health and the Treatment of Disease - Muirhead &Alexander 1999

Multisite Pig Production - D.L. Harris (2000) ISU Press

Proceedings of AASV, IPVS and ADL conferences

Swine Disease Manual. Editor: KJ Swartz, Copyright AASV, 2004

The Journal of Swine Health and Production (back issues for past 5 years)

The Veterinary Clinics of North America

Continuing Education Programs:

Swine Health Management Certificate Seminar Series, Mich State U.,U of Neb., ISU, U of M., NC State U., U of Guelph.

Executive Veterinary Program - University of Illinois

University of Minnesota Swine Program - University of Minnesota

Nebraska Certification in Swine Health Management - University of Nebraska

Iowa State University Practice - based Master of Science degree in Swine Prod. Med.

Meetings/Proceedings:

AASP Meeting

Leman Conference

George Young Conference

Iowa State Disease Conference

IPVS - International Pig Veterinary Society

Western States - Swine Seminar

NAVC - Swine Session

CVC - Swine Sessions

Seminars at World Pork Expo.

Questions on the examination may be taken from sources other than this list.