How to Spot Sick or Artificially Fattened Animals at Eid Cattle Markets

As Eid-ul-Azha approached in May 2026, sacrificial animal markets in Dhaka and other Bangladeshi cities were filling up with buyers. In a feature published by Jagonews24 on 23 May, Professor Dr Mst Minara Khatun of the Department of Microbiology and Hygiene at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), a veterinarian and veterinary public health specialist, advised buyers on choosing a healthy animal and identifying artificially fattened ones. Her central point: an animal is not healthy simply because it looks big or fat.

At a press conference of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock on 3 May 2026, officials said the country had 1 crore 23 lakh 33 thousand animals fit for sacrifice that year, against a likely demand of 1 crore 1 lakh 6 thousand 334. They included 56 lakh 95 thousand 878 cattle and buffalo, 66 lakh 32 thousand 307 goats and sheep, and 5 thousand 655 animals of other species. The ministry said 3,678 markets would be held across the country with veterinary teams on hand, and that the 27 markets under Dhaka's two city corporations would have 20 veterinary medical teams and 2 specialist medical teams for first aid.

Professor Khatun advised buyers first to watch an animal's behaviour and physical condition closely. A healthy animal moves its ears and tail, has bright, clear eyes and a slightly moist nose. Its hair and skin are smooth, its body is free of sores, itching, wounds or worms, and no fluid runs from its nose or eyes. It walks normally and shows interest in food.

For cattle, buffalo, goats and sheep, chewing the cud is a key sign of health: regular cud-chewing shows that digestion is normal, while a sick animal chews less and a very sick one not at all. Buyers should take their time and watch the animal.The Food and Agriculture Organization's manual on meat inspection likewise says animals should be examined from both sides, at rest and in motion, and treats abnormal breathing, an abnormal gait or posture, swellings, a bloated abdomen, nasal discharge and excessive saliva as signs to look for.

According to Professor Khatun, some dishonest traders and farmers use steroids or hormone-type drugs every Eid to fatten animals for extra profit. In her account, such an animal's body is usually abnormally swollen; it may walk weakly or pant; its skin looks overly taut and unnaturally shiny; and its belly may be bloated while its muscles are poorly formed. Injection marks on the body can also point to artificial fattening. She advised taking a vet or an experienced livestock keeper along; in doubt, buyers can ask the market's veterinary team or the upazila livestock officer.

Bangladesh's Fish Feed and Animal Feed Act 2010 prohibits lacing animal feed with antibiotics, growth hormones, steroids or other harmful chemicals; as the Dhaka Tribune reported in 2019, violations carry up to a year in jail, a Tk 50,000 fine, or both. At the 3 May 2026 press conference, the ministry said the Department of Livestock Services does not allow the import of cattle-fattening injections or any steroid, and that drives would be conducted to destroy illegal drugs.

Professor Khatun warned that animals kept standing at the market for long periods become tired and weak and may develop leg pain, breathing difficulty and loss of appetite, and that excessive stress can lower meat quality. The FAO's manual on the slaughter of small ruminants similarly stresses rest before slaughter, noting that overworked or fatigued animals yield lower-quality carcasses, and says fresh clean water may be provided throughout the resting time.

If an animal suddenly falls ill at the market, she advised moving it quickly away from the crowd and the sun to a calm spot, giving it clean water and checking for fever, breathing difficulty or injury, then calling a vet as soon as possible. Rather than giving any medicine on their own, owners are safer seeking help from the market's veterinary team or the upazila livestock office.

Photo: Wasiul Bahar / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Sources: Jagonews24, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock press conference (Jagonews24 and Bonik Barta), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Dhaka Tribune, Bangladesh Agricultural University