Hands-on manuals and training resources for basic animal healthcare

This page lists manuals, papers and leaflets describing basic animal healthcare practices for field practitioners. Nearly all include at least some ethnoveterinary prescriptions, folk treatments or descriptions of local management practices.

Click here for a list of books discussing community-based animal healthcare. 

Animal Health Improvement Training Programme. Three books on basic animal healthcare in Nepalese (titles in Nepalese script). The United Mission to Nepal, P.O. Box 126, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Anjaria, Jayvir, Shailendra Dwivedi, Pankaj Desai, Aswin Thaker and Minoo Parabia. 2000. Animal friend: Ethnovet approach to animal health management (published in English and Gujarati). Shri Vardhaman Jivdaya Kendra (Luni-Mumbai), Mumbai, India.

BIP. 1994. Obat tradisional ternak sapi [Indonesian; 'Traditional medicine for cattle']. Lembaran Informasi Pertanian no. 139/94. Balai Informasi Pertanian Irian Jaya, Jl. Yahim, Sentani, Jayapura, Indonesia.

Birmingham, Maureen E. Undated. Elvaj kochon [Creol; 'Animal husbandry of pigs' (?)]. Instituto Interamericano de Cooperacion para la Agricultura, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Birmingham, Maureen E. Undated. Elvaj kabrit e mouton [Creol; 'Animal husbandry of goats and sheep' (?)]. Instituto Interamericano de Cooperacion para la Agricultura, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Birmingham, Maureen E. and Rodney K. Frank. Undated. Elvaj bef [Creol; 'Animal husbandry of cattle' (?)]. Instituto Interamericano de Cooperacion para la Agricultura, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Birmingham, Maureen E. and Rodney K. Frank. Undated. Elvaj chwal, milet et bourik [Creol; 'Animal husbandry of horses, mules and donkeys' (?)]. Instituto Interamericano de Cooperacion para la Agricultura, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Birmingham, Maureen E. and Rodney K. Frank. Undated. Prensip veterine [Creol; basic animal healthcare (?)]. No publisher or place of publication given.

Bivin, Sheidon and William W. King. Undated. Raising healthy rabbits under primitive conditions. Christian Veterinary Mission, World Concern, Box 33000, Seattle, Washington 98133, USA.

Brightwell, R., J. Kamanga, and R. Dransfield. 1998.  Key livestock diseases of dryland Kenya.  Kenya Economic Pastoralist Development Association, Nairobi, Kenya.

Carlson, James. Undated. Raising healthy cattle. Christian Veterinary Mission, World Concern, Box 33000, Seattle, Washington 98133, USA.

Catley, Andy. 1995. Paravet training course – phase 1. Notes for trainers. Save the Children (SCF UK)/South East Rangelands Project, Jijiga, Ethiopia.

Deore, P.A., V.J. Sidhaye, D.V. Rangnekar, G.R. Hedge, B.R. Mangurkar, and A.L. Joshi. 1990. Manual on crossbred cow. Baif Development Research Foundation, Pune, India.

Domingo, Ines Vivian. 1998. Medicinal plants for animal healthcare. Footsteps 34:6-9.

FAO. 1994. A manual for the primary animal health care worker. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome.

Forse, Bill. 1999. Where there is no vet. Macmillan Press, London.

Fulcrand T., Bernardo.  1983 [1979].  Enfermedades de los Ovinos y su Tratamiento (2nd edition) [Spanish; 'Sheep diseases and their treatments'].  Centro de Estudios Rurales Andinos "Bartolomé de las Casas", Cuzco, Perú.  143 pp.

Goodman, D. E. 1994. Raising healthy pigs under primitive conditions (3rd edition). Christian Veterinary Mission, World Concern, Box 33000, Seattle, Washington 98133, USA.

HPI. Undated. Utumiaji wa madawa ya asili kwa mifugo [Maasai (?), table with ethnoveterinary treatments]. Leaflet. Heifer Project International, Tanzania Programme, P.O. Box 1648, Arusha, Tanzania.

HPI. Undated. Mwongozo wa ufugaji bora wa mbuzi wa maziwa [Maasai (?); all around goat production including a list of medicinal plants]. Heifer Project International, Arusha, Tanzania.

HPI/India.  1995.  Booklet on indigenous medicines for the treatment of simple diseases of ruminants.  Heifer Project International/India, New Delhi, India.  34 pp.

HPI/Philippine. Forthcoming. Ethnoveterinary medicine booklet. Philippine Programme, Heifer Project International, Manila, Philippines.

IIRR. 1993. Materials developed for paraveterinary training courses: 1. Pagpigil sa hayop, 2. Pangangasiwa sa kalusugan ng hayop, 3. Pag-aalaga ng hayop, and 4. Mga sakit ng hayop [Tagalog; 1. Restraining animals, 2. Animal health care, 3.
Taking care of animals, and 4. Animal diseases]. International Institute of Rural Reconstruction, Silang, Cavite 4118, Philippines.

IIRR. 1994. Ethnoveterinary medicine in Asia: An information kit on traditional animal health care practices. 4 booklets: General information (145 pp.), Ruminants (143 pp.), Swine (72 pp.), and Poultry (40 pp.). International Institute of Rural Reconstruction, Silang, Cavite 4118, Philippines. [Book announcement]

IIRR. 1996. Paraveterinary medicine: An information kit on low-cost health care practices. 4 booklets: Restraining animals and simple treatments (53 pp.), Basic husbandry practices and veterinary care (60 pp.), Disease control and treatment (60 pp.), and Herbal medicine for animals (18 pp.). International Institute of Rural Reconstruction, Silang, Cavite, Philippines.

ITDG and IIRR. 1996. Ethnoveterinary medicine in Kenya: A field manual of traditional animal health care practices. Intermediate Technology Development Group and International Institute of Rural Reconstruction, Nairobi, Kenya. [Book announcement]

Jones, Peta. 1997. Donkeys for Development. Animal Traction Network For Eastern and Southern Africa (ATNESA) and Institute for Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Research Council of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa.

Jost, N.P. 1990 (?). Goat Development Programme extension  manual. Sri Lanka German Technical Cooperation Programme and Department of Animal Production and Health, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.

Köhler-Rollefson, Ilse, Paul Mundy, and Evelyn Mathias.  2001.  A field manual of camel diseases:  Traditional and modern health care for the dromedary.  Intermediate Technology Publications, London, UK. [Book announcement]

LPT. 1999. Pengobatan tradisional penyakit ternak kambing [Indonesian; 'Traditional treatments for goat diseases']. Lembaran Informasi Pertanian no. 5/99. Loka Pengkajian Teknologi Pertanian Koya Barat, Jl. Yahim, Sentani, Jayapura, Indonesia. 

Ludgate, Patrick J. 1989. Kumpulan peragaan dalam rangka penelitian ternak kambing dan domba di pedesaan. (2nd edition). Balai Penelitian Ternak/Small Ruminant Collaborative Research Support Program, Pusat Penelitian dan Pengembanan Peternakan, Departement Pertanian, Bogor, Indonesia.

Lukefahr, S.D. 1992. The rabbit project manual. Heifer Project International, P.O. Box 808. Little Rock, AR 72203, USA. 

Members of the Aquatic Task Force. Undated. Raising healthy fish. Christian Veterinary Mission, World Concern, Box 33000, Seattle, Washington 98133, USA.

Merkel, Roger and Subandriyo (eds.).1997. Sheep and goat production handbook for Southeast Asia (3rd edition). Small Ruminant Collaborative Research Support Programme, University of California, Davis, USA. [This is an English, extended version of Ludgate 1989]

Minja, M.M.J. and R.D. Allport (eds.). In press. Ethnoveterinary knowledge practiced by Maasai in Simanjiro District, Northern Tanzania. VETAID, Arusha, Tanzania.

Mision Cristiana Veterinaria. 1993. Crianza de ganado vacuno en el tropico [Spanish; 'Raising of cattle in the Tropics']. World Concern/Mision Veterinaria Cristiana, Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

Padmakumar, V. 1993. Management and feeding of milk cattle. [Hindi(?)] Malabar Regional Co-op Milk Producers Union Ltd., Kozikode, Kerala, India

Project Cameline. 1999. Traitement des maladies du dromadaire: Guide de l´auxiliaire d´élevage. Projet de Renforcement Institutionnel et Technique de la Filière Cameline, Association nigérienne pour la dynamisation des initiatives locales (ONG KARKARA), Niamey, Niger.

Quesenberry, Peter. 1990. The JTA handbook of animal health for Nepal. United Mission to Nepal, Kathmandu.

Quesenberry, Peter and Maureen Birmingham. 2000. Where there is no animal doctor. Christian Veterinary Mission, Seattle, Washington, USA.

Ramdas, Sagari R., and Nitya S. Ghotge. 2000. Kottam Daggariki Vaidyam [Telugu; ‘Animal Health Worker Manual’]. Intercooperation NGO-Programme of Andhra Pradesh and ANTHRA, B-224, Sainikpuri, Secunderabad-500 094, India.

Reid, Malcolm, Gene M. Pesti, M. A. Hammarlund and Pran Vohra. Undated. Raising healthy poultry under primitive conditions. Christian Veterinary Mission, World Concern, Box 33000, Seattle, Washington 98133, USA.

Salk, H., and S. B. Salk. 1985. Paraveterinary training manual.  Heifer Project International, Chiangmai, Thailand.

Seva. 1999. Traning manual on ethnoveterinary/organic farming/indigenous knowledge. Sustainable-agriculture & Environmental Voluntary Action, Madurai, India. Email: numvali@vsnl.com

Stewart, Susan E. 1994. Crianza de ovejas en el tropico [Spanish; 'Raising of sheep in the Tropics']. World Concern/Mision Veterinaria Cristiana, Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

Stewart, Susan. 1998. Learning together. The agricultural worker’s participatory sourcebook. Heifer Project International, Little Rock, and Christian Veterinary Mission, Seattle, USA.

Testermann, William T. Undated. Raising healthy dairy cattle under primitive conditions. Christian Veterinary Mission, World Concern, Box 33000, Seattle, Washington 98133, USA.

Vanderhoof, Robert. A. 1994(?). Raising healthy goats under primitive conditions. Christian Veterinary Mission, World Concern, Box 33000, Seattle, Washington 98133, USA.

Wanyama, Jacob B. 1997. Confidently used ethnoveterinary knowledge among pastoralists of Samburu, Kenya. Book 1: Methodology and results. Book 2: Preparation and administration. Intermediate Technology Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya.

Wanyama, Jacob B. 1999. Training manual for community-based animal health workers in Isiolo District. Drought Preparedness Intervention and Recovery Programme, Nanyuki and Intermediate Technology Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya.