SA Gastrointestinal system

Question 1

What are the three components for a conscious oral exam?

Answer 1

1. Extraoral assessment: check for facial symmetry, look for swellings, draining tracts.
2. superficial oral exam: before opening the mouth, lift the lips and move the commissures caudally to evaluate mucous membranes and teeth.
3. Intraoral exam: open dogs/cats mouth for intraoral, pharyngeal, and further dental investigation. For dogs, inspect the tonsillar crypts by depressing the base of the tongue with your index fingers. For Cats, inspect the sublingual area without placing your finger inside the mouth.

Question 2

Where do you palpate for the liver? is it palpable?

Answer 2

-the liver is the most cranial organ in the stomach.
- generally not palpable in normal dogs & cats. You should palpate for the edges ventrally, where they extend to the costal arch.

-if palpable, the liver will have smooth sharp edges.

Question 3

how do you know when the liver is abnormal?

Answer 3

the liver will be enlarged and so will have extended caudally, well past the costal arch.
the edges will be rounded rather than sharp.

Question 4

is the esophagus palpable in a normal dog/cat?

Answer 4

no. should be palpated still.

Question 5

Where do you palpate for the stomach? is it palpable?

Answer 5

the stomach lies caudal to the liver and is situated mainly on the left side.
a normal stomach is not palpable, unless its very full with food

Question 6

how do you palpate the stomach if its full with food?

Answer 6

you palpate the convex greater curvature as it extends caudally to the costal arch along the ventral body wall.
a normal full stomach feels doughy, not taunt & not painful.

Question 7

when you palpate a bloated stomach, how will it feel?

Answer 7

Bloated, as in extremely distended with gas, fluid, and excessive ingesta, it will palpate as a taut structure beyond the costal margins.

Question 8

Where do you palpate for the pancreas? is it palpable?

Answer 8

a normal pancreas is not palpable.
you may detect pain in the right cranial quadrant when it is inflamed, pancreatitis.

Question 9

Where do you palpate for the spleen? is it palpable?

Answer 9

the spleen lives in the mid abdomen. it is against the left abdominal wall, with the tail extending to the ventral abdominal floor.
do a very superficial touch or ballottement (bopping the stomach wall)
-a normal dogs spleen is palpable, depending on bodys condition and tension of the body wall during palpation.
-normal spleen= smooth and flat, free of nodules or irregularities.
-a normal cats spleen is not palpable but should still be felt for. feel for it along the left body wall and ventral abdomen.
you will only feel it if enlarged or abnormal.

Question 10

Where do you palpate for the descending duodenum? is it palpable?

Answer 10

it lies along the right body wall. not palpable if normal.

Question 11

Where do you palpate for the jejunum? is it palpable?

Answer 11

located in the ventral portion of the mid-abdomen.
should be palpable..

Question 12

how do you palpate for the jejunum?

Answer 12

bring your fingers together dorsally and gently move them in a ventral direction, you will feel the loops of intestines slip through your fingers as you go.

Question 13

Where do you palpate for the mesenteric lymph node? is it palpable?

Answer 13

lives in mid abdomen, in the jejunal loops.
only palpable when enlarged.

Question 14

Where do you palpate for the descending colon? is it palpable?

Answer 14

is palpable.
tuber structure dorsally in the caudal abdomen.
the descending colon is often filled with feces.

Question 15

how do you differentiate feces in the descending colon to an abdominal mass?

Answer 15

apply gentle pressure to tell the difference.
feces are usually compressible.

Question 16

what part the colon is normally palpable?

Answer 16

the descending colon.
the ascending and transverse colon are usually in the dorsal mid-abdomen where they generally avoid palpation.

Question 17

are the ilium or cecum palpable?

Answer 17

not palpable in dogs. sometimes cecum in lean cats, on the right side while palpating the jejunal loops

Question 18

how do you perform a rectal exam?

Answer 18

your finger is in the rectum once it has passed through the anus. note tone of the anal sphincter around your finger. run your finger over the rectal wall, check for mucosal irregularities or masses. there should be no pain or resistance. evaluate integrity of the pelvic diaphragm.
palpate the pelvis by sweeping fingers ventrally and laterally. palpate the prostate gland, at the level of the pelvic brim (intact dogs it may be at the abdominal). then rotate finger dorsally to palpate the sublumbar (external iliac) lymph node

Question 19

are the sublumbar (external iliac) lymph nodes palpable?

Answer 19

done in rectal exams. palpable only if enlarged.

Question 20

where are the anal sacs?

Answer 20

located between the external and internal anal sphincters, at approximately 4 and 8 o’clock.
they are about 1 cm in diameter.
normal anal sacs should not be painful when palpated

Question 21

how do you evaluate anal sacs?

Answer 21

during rectal exam by holding it between the forefinger in the rectum, and your thumb externally. check for distention or mass.

the material should be expressed with gentle pressure,

Question 22

what is the consistency of anal gland contents?

Answer 22

brown grey liquid to toothpastey.

Question 23

what body positions may an animal may in for abdominal pain?

Answer 23

painful abdomen: stiff, guarding the abdomen, praying position.
less overt signs: round back, sawhorse stance, or tense abdomen when you palpate them.

with rectal pain or colitis, they may never leave the defecation posture.