FAC15-18: Medical Conditions of the Bovine GI Tract

Question 1

What does this animal have? What do you do with it?

Answer 1

Congenital Harelip

Euthanize

Question 2

What does this animal have? What do you do with it? Why?

Answer 2

Cleft Palate

Euthanize because it will get aspiration pneumonia

Question 3

What does this animal have? What do you do with it? Why?

Answer 3

Undershot Jaw (Prognathia)

Keep it, but do not breed from it. It will have a problem grazing ONLY IF the bottom incisors completely miss the dental pad

Question 4

What is atresia coli?

How does it present?

What do you do with the animal?

Answer 4

Atresia coli = a section of its colon never developed

Clinical Signs

• Progressive abdominal distension by 2-3 days of age
• Inappetence
• Pain
• Depression
• Weakness
• May cause

Question 5

What is the viral pathogen that causes Bovine Papular Stomatits? Is it zoonotic?

Answer 5

Parapox virus, yes.

Question 6

What is the bacterium that causes stomatitis?

Answer 6

Fusobacterium necrophorum

Question 7

What does the term Stomatitis/Pharyngitis mean?

Answer 7

Inflammation of the mucosae of the mouth/pharynx

Question 8

What is the bacterium that causes actinobacillosis?

Answer 8

Actinobacillus lignieressi. It is a gram neg commensal

Question 9

What is another term for actinobacillosis?

Answer 9

Wooden tongue

Question 10

Besides the tongue, what are other lesions that are caused by actinobacillosis?

Answer 10

Cutaneous and intestinal

Question 11

What antibiotics do you give to treat actinobacillosis?

Answer 11

Pen/Strep

Question 12

What is another name for actinomycosis?

Answer 12

Lumpy jaw

Question 13

What is the bacterium that causes actinomycosis?

Answer 13

Actinomyces bovis - gram positive commensal

Question 14

What is the bacterium that causes oral necrobacillosis (calf biphtheria)?

Answer 14

Fusobacterium necrophorum

Question 15

Oral lesions and scour are common clinical signs. What is the DDx for:

Oral lesions and scour?

Oral lesions, no scour?

Scour, no oral lesions?

Answer 15

OL and S: BVD/MD, MCF, Rinderpest

OL no S: FMD, VS, BT, BPS, calf diphtheria

S no OL: Salmonella, WD, Johnes, parasites, cocci, barley poisoning, toxicities, SCC, amyloid

Question 16

What are some common causes of squamous neoplasia?

Answer 16

Bracken and bovine papilloma virus

Question 17

What are other names for barley poisoning?

Answer 17

Carbohydrate overload

Ruminal lactic acidosis

Question 18

What causes barley poisoning?

Answer 18

Imbalanced concentrate to roughage ratio

Question 19

Why is VitB1 used as supprotive treatment in barley poisoning?

Answer 19

VitB1 is used to make thiamine, which is involved in pumping water out fo the brain

Thiamine is made in rumen

Question 20

What are the sequelae of barley poisoning?

Answer 20

Rumenitis caused by escape of rumen flora leading to liver abscesses and laminitis

Parakeratosis and fungal rumenitis

Question 21

What is the cause of frothy bloat?

Answer 21

Failure of gas cap formation due to increased surface tension

Question 22

Define primary and secondary bloat?

Answer 22

Primary: gas cap did not form

Secondary: able to form gas cap, but you can’t get rid of it

Question 23

How does hypocalcaemia cause bloat?

Answer 23

No calcium (it is all in the milk)

Muscles no longer work without calcium > esophagus fails> secondary bloat

Question 24

What causes juvenile bloat?

Answer 24

Oesophageal groove dysfunction (due to poor feeding management) thus allowing milk to enter the rumen and ferment

Question 25

What pasture types usually cause frothy bloat?

Answer 25

Leguminous pasture: clover

Question 26

Why is bloat a problem?

Answer 26

Compresses diaphragm, vena cava, vagal nerve (which further inhibits eructation)

Question 27

What are the causes of free gas bloat?

Answer 27

Intra-luminal: physical obstruction/choke, oesophageal groove lesion (actinobacillosis/papillomatosis) Extra-luminal: enlarged LNs, thoracic mass (thymic lymphosarcoma) Extra-luminal, extra-cow: lateral recumbency Neurological: tetanus, vagal indigestion Metabolic: milk fever Gas over-production: cereal overfeed/acidosis

Question 28

What is the cause of vagal indigestion?

Answer 28

Cannot shift stuff through its pylorus as fast as it should due to vagal damage

Question 29

What are the three techniques for local block?

Answer 29

Line, Inverted L, Distal para-vertebral

Question 30

What are the benefits of distal para-vertebral anaesthesia?

Answer 30

Excellent analgesia Smaller drug volume Drug is distant from wound site (can extend wound site) Easy in lean animals

Question 31

Which vertebrae do you block in a distal para-vertebral block?

Answer 31

L1, L2, L4 and behind last rib

Question 32

Where do you inject (in relation to the transverse process) in the distal paravertebral block?

Answer 32

Above and below the transverse process

Question 33

Where do you inject (in relation to the transverse process) in the proximal paravertebral block?

Answer 33

Between adjacent t-processes

Question 34

What stitch do you use to close the rumen?

Answer 34

Continuous inverting pattern = Utrect

Question 35

Why should you not use the Utrect on intestine?

Answer 35

This pattern makes the diameter smaller - ok on things like rumen bad on things like intestine

Question 36

Why does firm poo indicate a problem with the rumen?

Answer 36

If the rumination stops, the gut will go into stasis \> firm poo

Question 37

What are the two physical tests that indicate traumatic reticulo-pericarditis?

Answer 37

Withers pinch test and the bar test

Question 38

Describe the Bar Test for TRP?

Answer 38

Pull bar up and then drop bar * Normal response: cow drops when bar is released * Diagnostic response: cow tries to stay high up when bar is released

Question 39

Describe the Withers Pinch test.

Answer 39

Pinch Withers Normal response: cow dips down to avoid the pinch Diagnostic response: cow does not dip because it is in cranial abdominal pain when it ventro-flexes its abdomen

Question 40

What is the normal heart rate of a cow? Temp? Resp rate?

Answer 40

HR: 60-80bpm Temp: 38-39C RR: 15-30 bpm