Cardiovascular Disease of Cattle Flashcards
(41 cards)
What are some signs suggestive of heart disease?
- abnormal heart sounds - murmur, muffling, arrhythmia
- distended jugular pulse - over 1/2 way up the neck and remains after being held off longer than a couple seconds
- abducted elbows - expanded heart, discomfort
- exercise intolerance/respiratory distress
- edema (normal in udders of pregnant/lactating cows)
- thrills - palpable turbulence of heart
- pale, cyanotic, or tacky mucous membranes
Why does heart disease cause exercise intolerance?
increased hydrostatic pressure causes edema or shunts increasing unoxygenated blood content
How can pulse/heart rates be palpated in cows? What does it depend on?
auscultation, palpate jugular, rectal palpation of aorta
- excitement, exercise
- breed
- location
What are the normal HR of cattle, calves, small ruminants, and pigs?
40-90 bpm
100-120/140 bpm
70-90 bpm
60-100 bpm
What is the most common congenital defect in the cardiovascular system of cattle?
VSD
- large = quieter
- small = loud, increased pressure
What is the most common presentation associated with congenital cardiovascular disease? How are they treated?
inactive neonate with tachypnea, focusing on laying down and breathing + obvious mumur —> may still be nursing
euthanize —> little QoL, no practical or economical treatments
What are the major signs of congenital cardiovascular disease?
- poor growth
- lethargy
- dyspnea, exercise intolerance
- congestive heart failure
- other congenital defects common
Fetal vs adult blood flow:
How does a VSD affect blood flow? What are the 3 most common signs?
left to right —> deoxygenated blood sent into circulation
- cyanosis
- harsh, plateau holosystolic murmur heard on both sides of the thorax with a PMI on the right
- palpable cardiac thrill
In what 2 breeds is VSD most common? How is it diagnosed on the field and in the hospital?
Limousine, Hereford
murmur, consistent clinical signs, necropsy
(waste of money) - radiographs, echo, nuclear angiocardiography, cardiac pressure
What are some other congenital cardiovascular defects seen in cattle?
- PDA
- atrial septal defect
- tetralogy of Fallot
- pulmonic valve stenosis
- truncus arteriosus
- ectopia cordis cervicalis
What is the most common cause of bacterial endocarditis in cattle? What part of the heart is most commonly affected?
Trueperella pyogenes
tricuspid valve
What signs are associated with bacterial endocarditis?
RIGHT SIDED HEART FAILURE
- tachycardia, tachypnea
- jugular vein distention, palpable pulse
- progressive edema
- systolic murmur
- fever, shifting leg lameness, cough, anorexia
Cardiovascular disease:
distended jugular > 1/2 neck
Bacterial endocarditis:
cauliflower-like lesion on valve
Bacterial endocarditis:
abscess in lung with leakage —> blood, epistaxis
Bacterial endocarditis:
lung abscesses
What diagnostics can be used for bacterial endocarditis?
- frequent blood cultures
- bloodwork - leukocytosis, neutrophilia, hyperfibrinogenemia, hyperglobulinemia, anemia of chronic disease
- thoracic radiograph
- ECG
- echo - vegetations appear as echogenic shaggy or cystic masses
(poor prognosis - not generally worth running these tests)
What treatment is available for bacterial endocarditis? What is reserved for cattle with clinical signs?
- long-term antibiotics of at least 4-6 weeks
- steroids
- diuretics, restrict sodium
digoxin (typically resistant to diuretics)
(grave prognosis!)
What is brisket disease (cor pulmone, pulmonary hypertension)? What makes it worse?
increased pulmonary artery pressure due to hypoxia in high altitudes causes vasoconstriction and right-sided heart failure
other lung-associated diseases —> chronic bronchopneumonia, lungworm infection
What are the 3 most common signs associated with brisket disease?
- edema of the brisket, ventral thorax, submandibular area, and limbs
- jugular venous distention and/or pulsations
- murmur
(RIGHT-SIDED HEART FAILURE)
How is brisket disease diagnosed?
history of high altitude and presence on feedlot
- neutrophilia with lung disease
- bronchopneumonia, bronchiectasis, chronic bronchitis seen on radiographs
- TTW, fluid cytology, culture
- fecal sedimentation with suspected lungworms
- echo
- central venous pressure
How does bovine congestive heart failure compare to brisket disease? What can predict development of this disease?
- not caused by high altitudes, more of a genetic relation (no control)
- affects both sides of the heart
- common in feedlot cattle
pulmonary arterial pressure test
How is brisket disease/BCHF treated? Prevented?
- return to lower altitude, administer oxygen
- thoracocentesis
- antibiotics and deworming to treat primary lung disease
- digoxin
- diuretics
eliminate predisposing genetic susceptibility