Ethnoveterinary question list

If you work on livestock production in villages, it is important to know and understand local animal health care practices. Here is a list of questions to ask livestock raisers when recording information on ethnoveterinary medicine. The questions are for guidance only; they should be adapted to local conditions and the situation of each livestock raiser.

Background information

· Who in the household is responsible for, manages, or treats sick animals?

· What are the local seasons of the year? How do they affect livestock diseases?

· What species of livestock are kept? What breed, age or other categories are considered relevant for animal health?

Disease names

· Elicit the names of all livestock diseases in the area, by species, seasons and other locally relevant variables.

· Cross-check all terms for duplications, overlaps, confusions and omissions.

· Decide which diseases warrant further investigation in the question list below.

The question list

Ask these questions for each disease you have identified above.

1. What species, breeds, ages and sexes of animals are affected by this disease?

2. Is there seasonality or other timing to the appearance of the disease?

3. Does it usually affect one animal or a group of animals at the same time? Does it spread from animal to animal (i.e., is it contagious or infectious)?

4. What causes the disease natural/physical causes, supernatural/non-physical causes, or both? Describe.

5. Are there ways to prevent/avoid this disease? If so, what are they?

6. Describe the main symptoms, if possible, in order of progression and timing, i.e., what is the first symptom seen and when? What is the second symptom seen and when? etc. Also, what is the symptom, if any, that makes you decide it is this specific disease?

7. Are traditional treatments available? What are they? Where/how are they obtained? What happens when they are used? (Please be as specific as possible.)

8. Are modern treatments available? What are they? Where/how are they obtained? What happens when they are used? (Please be as specific as possible.)

9. What usually happens if the animal is not treated?

10. When did you last have (or for areas with few livestock per household, hear of) an animal with this disease? What did you do and what happened to the animal?

Source: Based on Grandin and Young (forthcoming).