Lecture 27 4/7/25

Question 1

What is the anatomy of the small ruminant foot?

Answer 1

-sole thickness of 2 to 3 mm
-horn growth rate of 5 mm/month
-pointed triangle shaped digits
-all weight bearing through P3

Question 2

What are the general characteristics of hoof trimming in small ruminants?

Answer 2

-do not need any fancy equipment like a tilt table
-easy to restrain with halter and tie; can pick up feet like a horse
-should do trims 2 to 3 times a year
-frequency of trims depends on growth, nutrition, and development

Question 3

What should be assessed during a hoof inspection?

Answer 3

-horn
-skin
-interdigital space
-swelling and/or pain

Question 4

What are the three basic steps to a small ruminant hoof trim?

Answer 4

-tip of the claw
-reduction of abaxial wall
-reduction of axial wall

Question 5

What is the primary goal of hoof trimming in small ruminants?

Answer 5

create a flat surface for walking

Question 6

What are the clinical signs of lameness in small ruminants?

Answer 6

-recumbent/unwilling to stand
-walking on their knees
-abnormal gait/limping
-swelling

Question 7

What are the characteristics of small ruminant interdigital dermatitis?

Answer 7

-aka foot scald or benign foot rot
-opportunistic infection predisposed by moisture and trauma
-caused by Fusobacterium necrophorum

Question 8

What are the clinical signs of small ruminant interdigital dermatitis?

Answer 8

-skin redness
-swelling
-erosion
-lameness
-pitting of heel horn

Question 9

What are the characteristics of small ruminant foot rot?

Answer 9

-caused by Dichelobacter nodosus
-gram neg. anaerobe
-obligate parasite of skin of feet; will die if away from host 1-2 weeks
-can have asymptomatic carriers
-more common in sheep than goats
-Fusobacterium necrophorum may be present but does not initiate infection

Question 10

What are the predisposing factors for small ruminant foot rot?

Answer 10

-warm temps and high humidity
-co-mingling
-new arrivals without quarantining
-hard, high grass

Question 11

What are the clinical signs of small ruminant foot rot?

Answer 11

-lameness across multiple legs and in both claws per limb
-necrotizing inflammation of interdigital skin
-pain
-foul/necrotic odor
-separation of horn from underlying tissues

Question 12

How is small ruminant foot rot controlled?

Answer 12

-trimming
-foot bath
-antimicrobials (lots of labelled drugs)
-culling if severe
-preventing moisture and trauma

Question 13

Which drugs are labelled for small ruminant foot rot?

Answer 13

-procaine penicillin
-oxytetracycline
-draxxin

Question 14

What are the characteristics of footvax?

Answer 14

-contains Dichelobacter nodosus and adjuvant
-labeled for sheep with a 0 day meat withdrawal
-varying efficacy in studies
-considered for large herd/producer systems

Question 15

What are the characteristics of small ruminant foot abscesses?

Answer 15

-can be acute or chronic
-secondary to interdigital dermatitis or trauma
-cause severe swelling

Question 16

What are the treatment options for foot abscesses?

Answer 16

-establish drainage of purulent discharge
-antibiotics if deep/extensive and approaching tendons
-bandages
-amputation of digit if severe

Question 17

What are the characteristics of septic arthritis?

Answer 17

*origin:
-traumatic wound
-untreated/uncontrolled foot rot
*location:
-primarily distal interphalangeal joint
*diagnosis:
-rads
-joint tap
*treatment:
-antibiotics
-surgery
*prognosis:
-guarded

Question 18

What are the characteristics of caprine arthritis encephalitis virus?

Answer 18

-disease of small ruminants and camelids
-RNA-enveloped lentivirus that targets macrophages and monocytes
-causes encephalitis in young animals and arthritis in old animals

Question 19

What are the characteristics of CAE transmission?

Answer 19

-can occur through colostrum; must remove kids before feeding in known infected mothers
-horizontal transmission can occur at any age; danger with co-mingling and new animals

Question 20

What is the pathophysiology of CAE?

Answer 20

-20% of animals display clinical signs
-polysynovitis-arthritis is most common form in older animals
-joints are enlarged and painful
-hyperplasia of the synovial tissues occurs; NOT synovial fluid

Question 21

What are the clinical signs of CAE?

Answer 21

-stiffness
-stilted gait
-carpus walking
-reluctance to stand
-joint contracture

Question 22

How is CAE diagnosed?

Answer 22

-joint tap showing increased mononuclear cells and decreased protein
-rads showing soft tissue swelling, calcification, and osteophyte presence
-ELISA blood test to detect CAE antibodies in goats older than 6 months (most common)

Question 23

What is Mycoplasma associated with in goats?

Answer 23

-pneumonia
-mastitis
-polyarthritis

Question 24

Why is it important that Mycoplasma do not have cell walls?

Answer 24

-allows them to invade immune system
-cannot be treated with beta-lactams

Question 25

What are the characteristics of Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. capri?

Answer 25

-causes polyarthritis in young kids -can be associated with infected mammary gland of dam

Question 26

What are the clinical signs of mycoplasma associated lameness?

Answer 26

-rapid onset of lameness -swelling over joints, esp. carpus -similar presentation to CAE

Question 27

What is the treatment for mycoplasma associated lameness?

Answer 27

antibiotics that do not target the cell wall; variable prognosis

Question 28

What are the characteristics of laminitis in small ruminants?

Answer 28

-common -originates from lush pasture or too much grain -signs include knee walking, stiffness, warm feet, and toe tipping upwards -treated with pain management, diet management, and euthanasia if severe

Question 29

What are the characteristics of rickets?

Answer 29

-disease that affects all species -only in young, growing animals; disease of growth plates -leads to angular limb deformity

Question 30

What can cause rickets?

Answer 30

-insufficient phosphorus or calcium intake -inappropriate calcium:phosphorus ratio (ideally 2:1) -lack of vitamin D

Question 31

What is the prevention/treatment for rickets?

Answer 31

-appropriate diet and intake -access to sunlight -supplementation of vitamin D *good prognosis

Question 32

What are the characteristics of white muscle disease?

Answer 32

-degenerative muscle disease caused by vitamin E/selenium deficiency -affects newborns and fast growing animals -occurs in selenium deficient soils/regions

Question 33

What are the characteristics of enzootic ataxia?

Answer 33

-neurodegenerative dz -symmetric loss of myelin -due to copper deficiency -congenital form occurs if doe has decreased copper intake during pregnancy -kids are born with tremors and weakness and die quickly -delayed onset can occur at 2 to 4 months of age

Question 34

What are the clinical signs of enzootic ataxia?

Answer 34

-"swayback" -uncoordinated movements -"dog sitting"

Question 35

What are the consequences of enzootic ataxia?

Answer 35

kids: -irreversible signs copper deficient animals: -anemia -long bone fractures -weight loss -poor hair coat

Question 36

What are the ways in which developmental lameness can occur?

Answer 36

-abnormal angulation of limb -bone and/or tendon involvement -congenital vs acquired

Question 37

How does a valgus ALD differ from a varus ALD?

Answer 37

*valgus: -carpuses angled in -feet angled out -more common *varus: -carpuses bowed out -feet angled in -less common

Question 38

What are the correction options for ALD?

Answer 38

-stall rest if less severe -surgical correction if severe; transphyseal bridging or wedge ostectomy

Question 39

What are the causes of contracted tendons?

Answer 39

-more commonly congenital than caused by misuse -can be secondary to previous lameness/injury

Question 40

How does the prognosis differ based on cause of contracted tendons?

Answer 40

-previous lameness/injury carries a poor prognosis due to joint capsule fibrosis; can still attempt surgery -congenital forms can be treated with splints and/or tenotomy and pain control and usually have a good prognosis

Question 41

What are the clinical signs of fractures in small ruminants?

Answer 41

-standing still -non-weight bearing lameness -quivering/vocalizing/grunting/other signs of pain -dangling leg -swelling at area -crepitation

Question 42

What are the characteristics of external coaptation for fractures?

Answer 42

-want a fiberglass cast that inhibits flexion/extension of the 2 adjacent joints and stabilizes them -must incorporate entire foot into cast since they weight bear on P3 -want firm bandages and splints

Question 43

What is the prognosis for fractures?

Answer 43

-excellent prognosis for closed fractures -open fractures require race against infection; need lots of lavage and antibiotics

Question 44

What are the characteristics of animal attacks on small ruminants?

Answer 44

-common -prognosis varies with involved structures -dogs often go after throat, ears, and limbs

Question 45

What is the treatment for animal attack wounds?

Answer 45

-clip, clean, and lavage -debridement -antibiotics -NSAIDs/opioids -tetanus vx -euthanasia if severe

Question 46

What are the characteristics of spider lamb syndrome?

Answer 46

-genetic; autosomal recessive disorder in which fibroblast GF Rc is mutated -excessive skeletal growth -carriers are not clinical and hard to detect -black faced sheep breeds often affected -signs present at birth or soon after -no treatment; humane euthanasia -genetic testing mostly prevents it in US

Question 47

What are the characteristics of corn/interdigital fibroma?

Answer 47

-not as common as in large ruminants -secondary to trauma, severe foot rot, or foreign body -surgical removal if causing lameness or ulcerated -want to remove inciting cause