Effect of Stress on Animal Health: A Review

Abstract

Stress, as it relates to bodily functions, has been defined as the sum of all biologic reactions to physical, emotional, or mental stimuli that disturb an individual’s homeostasis. Stressor can be defined as any internal or external stimuli or threat that disrupts homeostasis of the body, and elicits a coordinated physiological response within the body in an attempt to reestablish homeostasis. The different stressors that enhance stress it can be chemical stressors: poor water quality low dissolved oxygen, improper pH, Pollution intentional pollution: chemical treatments, accidental pollution: insect spray, Diet composition - type of protein, amino acids, Nitrogenous and other metabolic wastes accumulation of ammonia or nitrite. Biological stressors: population density crowding, mixing of different species of animal aggression, territoriality, space requirements, Microorganisms pathogenic and nonpathogenic, Macroorganisms internal and external parasites. Physical stressors: Light, sounds, dissolved gases and temperature. The stressor can be any internal or external stimuli or threat that disrupts homeostasis of the body, and elicits a coordinated physiological response within the body in an attempt to reestablish homeostasis. The different stressors that enhance stress and disturb the normal physiological functions of the different organs of animal health in different ways. Finally stress increased incidence of diseases and suffering animals as well as if the stress level is chronic it leads to death.

Keywords: Health, Stressor and stress