History and Physical Exams

Question 1

What is a normal respiration rate for a horse?

Answer 1

6-12bpm

Question 2

How can you obtain RR in a horse?

Answer 2

watch “rise and fall” of chest from a distance (preferred method), stethoscope, feel movement of air from nostril

Question 3

What should be asked about when getting a history?

Answer 3

food and water sources, posture management, herd health programs, introduction of new animal to herd, feeding practices, toxin exposure, environmental stresses

Question 4

What should you not do when taking a history?

Answer 4

do NOT pass judgement to an owner

Question 5

What is the purpose of physical exam?

Answer 5

sick animal exam —–> healthy animal exam - insurance exam/pre-purchase exam

Question 6

What should be noted during a horse’s PE?

Answer 6

visual observation, RR, lung auscultation, pulse rate, heart auscultation, MM, hydration status, height/weight measurement

Question 7

What should be visually observed during a horse’s PE?

Answer 7

posture, behavior, body condition, alertness, breathing pattern and respiratory noise, body swelling/wounds, muscle mass

Question 8

Horse’s are ____________ breathers.

Answer 8

obligate nasal

Question 9

What is abnormal during respiration?

Answer 9

noise —–> wheezing, whistling, honking, snoring, fluttering

Question 10

What areas is lung auscultation usually broken into?

Answer 10

two areas –> cranioventral area and caudodorsal area

Question 11

What is a pulse heart rate?

Answer 11

feeling the pulse by palpation of arteries

Question 12

Where can you palpate a pulse on a horse?

Answer 12

facial artery, transverse facial artery, coccygeal artery, dorsal metatarsal artery, lateral digital artery

Question 13

Where can you feel facial artery pulse?

Answer 13

along mandible rostral to masseter muscle

Question 14

Where can you feel coccygeal artery pulse?

Answer 14

along ventral midline of the tail

Question 15

Where can you feel dorsal metatarsal artery pulse?

Answer 15

between metatarsal 3 & 4 on the hind limb

Question 16

Where can you feel lateral digit artery pulse?

Answer 16

outside of front limb

Question 17

Where can you palpate a pulse of a swine?

Answer 17

auricular artery and coccygeal artery

Question 18

Where can you palpate a pulse on cattle?

Answer 18

facial artery

Question 19

Where can you palpate a pulse of goats and sheep?

Answer 19

femoral artery

Question 20

What is common with an athletic horse’s pulse?

Answer 20

common irregularity of pulse due to second degree atrioventricular block

Question 21

What side is easier to hear heart auscultation?

Answer 21

left side

Question 22

What can happen when taking a horse’s temperature?

Answer 22

can aspirate thermometer into rectum

Question 23

What is a horse’s normal abdominal auscultation?

Answer 23

1-3 gut sounds per minute

Question 24

What is borborygmi?

Answer 24

intestinal motility sounds

Question 25

What is ileus?

Answer 25

complete absence of borborygmi

Question 26

What is normal mucous membrane color in horses?

Answer 26

light to dark pink

Question 27

What is cyanosis?

Answer 27

MM are a bluish tiny - extremely low oxygen

Question 28

What do brick red MM mean?

Answer 28

bacterial septicemia and/or shock

Question 29

What is endotoxin shock?

Answer 29

purple gum line above teeth referred to as toxic line

Question 30

What do pale MM mean?

Answer 30

anemia or poor perfusion

Question 31

What do hemorrhages on MM mean?

Answer 31

clotting disorder

Question 32

What is petechial hemorrhage?

Answer 32

<1mm sized bruises on MM

Question 33

What is ecchymotic hemorrhage?

Answer 33

>1mm and <1cm sized bruises on MM

Question 34

What is purpuric hemorrhage?

Answer 34

>1cm sized bruises on MM

Question 35

What is colic?

Answer 35

abdominal pain

Question 36

What is nasogastric intubation?

Answer 36

helpful since horses can't vomit their stomach will become distended with ingesta and gas and the stomach can rupture

Question 37

What is the risk of rectal palpation?

Answer 37

risk of rectal tears which can be life threatening

Question 38

What injuries are common in horses?

Answer 38

eye injuries

Question 39

What is usually needed for eye exams?

Answer 39

nerve blocks

Question 40

How are horses observed during a lameness exam?

Answer 40

must observe the horse during various activities -----> at rest, walking, trotting

Question 41

What is the flexion test?

Answer 41

flex joint for period of time and the jog horse

Question 42

What is used to evaluate hooves?

Answer 42

hoof testers

Question 43

What are local anesthetics for nerve blocks used for?

Answer 43

used to confirm or further localize source of pain

Question 44

How are local anesthetics used?

Answer 44

joints/nerves are injected starting near hoof and working up

Question 45

How can you make sure the correct patient is getting treated the correct way?

Answer 45

record in record, place a card on housing door, plastic ID tags can be made to braid into mane or tail, put on pastern, or halter

Question 46

What are the two types of artificial identification?

Answer 46

permanent and temporary

Question 47

What are panel tags?

Answer 47

numbered tag placed in ear, can be easily removed

Question 48

What are metal clips?

Answer 48

clips on ears, less likely to be ripped off than ear tag but not as easily read from a distance

Question 49

What are hot brands?

Answer 49

destroy hair follicle and leave scar, usually placed over side of neck, triceps, or hip/thigh area

Question 50

What are freeze brands?

Answer 50

destroys hair pigment derived from melanocytes and leave white hair, uses branding iron dipped in liquid nitrogen

Question 51

Where is an ear notch placed?

Answer 51

left ear

Question 52

What animal is ear notching done on?

Answer 52

swine

Question 53

What is a star marking?

Answer 53

small marking between the eyes located anywhere from the poll to the bottom third of the forehead

Question 54

What is a strip marking?

Answer 54

thin white line within the bridges of the nasal bones

Question 55

What is a snip marking?

Answer 55

small marking between the nostrils anywhere on the dorsal aspect of the face, on the bottom of the head

Question 56

What is a blaze marking?

Answer 56

thick white line outside the bridges of the nasal bones

Question 57

What is a bald marking?

Answer 57

wide white mark that goes behind at least one eye

Question 58

What is a cornet marking?

Answer 58

white marking that forms a thin white line around the coronary band

Question 59

What is a pastern marking?

Answer 59

white marking below the level of the pastern that does not cross the pastern at any point

Question 60

What are sock markings?

Answer 60

white marking that crossed the pastern at any point and does not cross the knee or hock at any point

Question 61

What are stocking markings?

Answer 61

white marking up to hock

Question 62

Black horse coat

Answer 62

no brown areas

Question 63

Brown horse coat

Answer 63

black horse that gets brown anywhere on body during year, any shade of brown but no shades of red

Question 64

Chestnut horse coat

Answer 64

brown horse with hues of red

Question 65

Sorrel horse coat

Answer 65

brown horse with dull red hues - American Quarter Horse Association ONLY

Question 66

Bay Horse Coat

Answer 66

brown, chestnut, or sorrel with black legs, mane, and tail

Question 67

Dun horse coat

Answer 67

yellow tan as the main body with black, dorsal stripe down middle of back - darker coat color

Question 68

Bucksin horse coat

Answer 68

dun without the dorsal stripe

Question 69

Palomin horse coat

Answer 69

same color as dun or bucksin with blond/white mane and tail

Question 70

Gray horse coat

Answer 70

most "white" horses are actually gray, skin is darkly pigmented

Question 71

Roan horse coat

Answer 71

coat color is salt and pepper like, head is solid color, often red

Question 72

What are hair whorls?

Answer 72

usually one swirl on muzzle that is in unique position

Question 73

How is a hair whorl recorded in a horse's diagram/photo?

Answer 73

an X

Question 74

What are chestnuts?

Answer 74

common to all horses on the medial aspects of all limbs; evolutionary remnants of the digital pad of the first digit