VetPrep NAVLE Flashcards
(86 cards)
An 8-year old Thoroughbred gelding was presented for acute onset of trembling, excessive recumbency, constant shifting of body weight while standing, and muscle atrophy. The horse is housed in a dry lot with no pasture availability. Diet consists of moderate quality grass hay and sweet feed. The CBC is normal with abnormalities on biochemistry analysis including mild elevation in creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis shows no remarkable findings. Based on this information, what disease process do you suspect?
Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy (EHV-1)
Equine Motor Neuron Disease (EMND)
Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM, Sarcocystis neurona)
Verminous encephalomyelitis (Halicephalobus deletrix)
Cervical Vertebral Malformation (Wobbler Syndrome)
Answer: Equine Motor Neuron Disease (EMND)
The correct answer is EMND. This is a neurologic disease associated with dietary vitamin E deficiency which is believed to contribute to oxidative damage to the CNS. However, the precise pathophysiology is unknown.
Retrospective studies have noted that horses with EMND are commonly housed on dry lots with little to no availability to pasture or good quality hay (perhaps contributing to low blood vitamin E concentrations). The clinical signs in this question are classic for EMND whereas horses afflicted with the other options do not typically demonstrate trembling or shifting of body weight.
Dr. Jones is examining Snuggles, an 8-year-old male castrated Domestic Shorthair cat. Snuggles’ owner is Anna, who is a physician. Anna noted that Snuggles wasn’t eating well two days ago. Today Snuggles began vocalizing in the litterbox. Snuggles lives with two other cats, so Anna is not sure whether he is urinating successfully. On palpation of the abdomen, Dr. Jones feels a large, turgid urinary bladder. Which of the following is the most appropriate way for Dr. Jones to begin a discussion about urethral obstruction in cats?
- Do you already know about urethral obstruction in cats?
- Most clients aren’t familiar with urethral obstruction in cats.
- I’m sure you know all about urethral obstruction in cats.
- How familiar are you with urethral obstruction in cats?
Answer: How familiar are you with urethral obstruction in cats?
Use of a question to gauge the client’s current knowledge base is recommended. This option does not suggest an assumption of the client’s level of knowledge. This option is posed as an open question, which maximizes the amount of information that the client is likely to share. The use of open-ended questions is encouraged to improve client communication. Open-ended questions allow the client to provide a comprehensive answer, which gives the most information to the medical team. Additionally, this option does not lead the client toward a particular answer. Questions beginning with “do” are closed questions, or questions for which there is only one answer (yes or no).
Closed questions limit the information the client is being invited to provide. Both statement options assume the level of knowledge the client possesses and should therefore be avoided.
Source: Handbook of Veterinary Communication Skills. Edited by Carol Gray and Jenny Moffett. Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. Page 14 and 31-33.
A cat is having a dental procedure and you notice some debris in the ears. You flush the ear canals gently and clean away the debris. Upon recovery from anesthesia, you notice the cat has a protrusion of the right nictitating membrane and the right pupil is miotic. The left eye appears normal. What is the most likely cause of these clinical symptoms?
- Trauma to spinal cord between T1-T4 while under anesthesia
- Vascular accident from anesthesia induced hypertension
- Rupture of tympanic membrane
- Inner ear polyp
Answer: Rupture of tympanic membrane
Horner’s syndrome occurs from a disruption of the sympathetic innervation to the eye. In addition to the clinical signs mentioned, a droopy upper eyelid, enophthalmos, nystagmus, and sometimes a head tilt can occur. Because this cat was normal before the procedure, the likely cause of the Horner’s syndrome is a tympanic membrane (eardrum) rupture or trauma that occurred during the ear flush. This is because the sympathetic innervation to the eye runs through the middle ear. An inner ear polyp could also cause this syndrome; however, because it came on acutely after an ear flush, a ruptured ear drum is most likely.
Anesthesia typically causes hypotension, not hypertension, so a vascular accident is very unlikely to occur in a young healthy cat.
A spinal cord lesion at 11-14 could also cause this syndrome due to the sympathetic preganglionic cell bodies located in this area, but a significant trauma would have to occur for this to result in Horner’s syndrome, and it is less likely in this anesthetized cat.
You go to a dairy which is having trouble with sudden death in calves and decreased reproductive efficiency in cows. Which plant toxin should you have on your differential list?
- Tansy ragwort
- Moldy sweet clover
- Larkspur
- St John’s-wort
- Gossypol
Answer: Gossypol
The correct answer is gossypol (found in cotton seed in varying amounts) toxicity.
Gossypol is a cardiotoxin and can kill calves less than 4 months of age. In adults, if fed at high levels, it usually causes sterility in bulls and decreased conception in cows.
Moldy sweet clover inhibits vitamin K and causes a coagulopathy.
St. John’s-wort contains hypericin and results in photosensitivity.
Tansy ragwort is a pyrrolizidine alkaloid and causes liver disease.
Larkspur causes general nonspecific signs such as salivation, bloat, muscle fasciculation, collapse, staggering, and death.
You are doing a summer externship in South America and performing physical exams on a variety of animals. You are performing a fundic exam on the eye of a horse and note what appears to be a worm migrating through the conjunctiva. Because of the location and appearance of this parasite, you suspect this is which of the following?
Answer: Thelazia
Thelazia is a genus of nematode worms (eyeworms) which are found in the ocular tissues.
Adults are usually found in the eyelids, tear glands, tear ducts, or the nictitating membrane. They may be found in the eyeball itself under the conjunctiva or in the vitreous. Thelazia are transmitted by Diptera (flies) which do not bite but feed on tears.
Toxocara, which causes ocular larval migrans, usually causes granulomas which may be seen in the retina and appear more circular.
Answer: Thelazia
Thelazia is a genus of nematode worms (eyeworms) which are found in the ocular tissues.
Adults are usually found in the eyelids, tear glands, tear ducts, or the nictitating membrane. They may be found in the eyeball itself under the conjunctiva or in the vitreous. Thelazia are transmitted by Diptera (flies) which do not bite but feed on tears.
Toxocara, which causes ocular larval migrans, usually causes granulomas which may be seen in the retina and appear more circular.
Answer: Yellow star thistle.
Yellow star thistle is Centaurea solstitialis. In some horses which ingest large quantities, it can cause nigropallidal encephalomalacia, which is loss of the globus pallidus and substantia nigra, and extrapyramidal nuclei, which control muscles of prehension. Loss of these nuclei causes tremors and dystonia of the lip muscles and tongue.
Centaurea repens (Russian knapweed) can also cause similar lesions.
When formulating late gestation anionic diets for dairy cows to help prevent hypocalcemia in the last 2 to 3 weeks prior to calving, what formula is used?
- DCAD = (Na - Cl) + (K - S)
- DCAD = (Na - K) + (P - S)
- DCAD = (Na + S) - (K + Cl)
- DCAD = (Na + K) - (Cl + S)
- DCAD = (Na + Cl) - (K + S)
Answer: DCAD = (Na + K) - (Cl + S)
DCAD stands for Dietary Cation Anion Difference. Na=sodium, K=potassium, Cl=chloride, and S=sulfur. These are the 4 most important strong ions to be considered. When the diet is optimal the urine pH of Holstein cows should range between 6.2 and 6.8 for cows on the ration.
Which of the following is true about porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS)?
- Treatment of the herd involves prolonged, aggressive antibiotic therapy added to the food
- Infected boars may be infertile due to poor sperm quality
- Clinical signs are seen only in pigs at breeding age
- The disease is caused by a herpes virus
Answer: Infected boars may be infertile due to poor sperm quality
The correct answer is infected boars may be infertile due to poor sperm quality. PRRS is caused by an arterivirus and affects pigs of all ages. Affected neonatal pigs experience diarrhea and recurrent fevers. Weaned pigs may become anorexic, develop a cough, dyspnea (or “thumps”), and purple ear tips and tails due to vasculitis.
Gestating sows have reproductive failure in the form of abortions, mummies, and early embryonic death. Boars may be infertile due to interference with spermatogenesis. Treatment of a herd may involve depopulating the herd, or closing the herd for several months and following titers.
A 10-year old male castrated schnauzer presents laterally recumbent and minimally responsive. The owners just returned from vacation and his pet sitter noted he seemed normal yesterday. His temperature is 97 F (36.1 C), heart rate is 50 beats per minute (normal 60-160 beats per minute), and respiratory rate is 50 breaths per minute (normal 10-30 breaths per minute). You determine he is approximately 8% dehydrated based on skin turgor. Systolic blood pressure is 80 mmHg (normal 100-140 mmHg). He groans when his abdomen is palpated. You find a small pocket of ascites on a brief ultrasound exam. Cytology of the fluid shows a moderate amount of neutrophils with no obvious bacteria. An in-house chemistry panel is within normal limits (glucose 145, sodium 145, potassium 4.10, lactate 0.8). The ascites glucose is 100 and lactate is 2.8. What is your recommendation to the owners?
Start active warming and give a dose of atropine
Crystalloid fluid therapy and antibiotics
Surgical exploratory laparotomy
Colloid fluid therapy and antibiotics
Anwer: Surgical exploratory laparotomy
This dog has a septic abdomen and requires surgical intervention. Sepsis is suspected if the glucose in the ascites is at least 20mg/dL less than the peripheral blood. A blood lactate level of 2.0mmol/L lower than the ascites lactate level is also highly suggestive of a septic abdomen. The presence of intracellular bacteria would also be diagnostic for a septic abdomen. The hypotension, bradycardia, and hypothermia can be attributed to the sepsis as well. An abdominal ultrasound may help to determine the source. Rehydration and antibiotics are necessary components of treatment but ultimately surgical exploration is necessary.
You diagnose this 15-year old mare in the picture with a mild, acute laminitis. Which of the following can be used as treatment for this horse?
- Phenoxybenzamine
- Prednisone
- Application of horse shoes
- Trimethoprim sulfa
Answer: Phenoxybenzamine
The correct answer is phenoxybenzamine.
Phenoxybenzamine is an alpha-adrenergic antagonist promoting vasodilation and restoration of blood flow to the digits. Prednisone is contraindicated in laminitis because corticosteroids are believed to induce the condition. Antibiotics are not indicated unless a secondary bacterial infection develops. Application of a horse shoe would not help and would be very painful in an already sensitive and painful condition. Other medications used to restore blood flow to the digits include acepromazine, isoxsuprine hydrochloride, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), heparin, and nitroglycerine.
Every time an owner shears his sheep, 10% develop large abscesses in their lymph nodes several weeks or even months after shearing. What should the owner do to control/prevent this problem the next time he shears his sheep?
Disinfect shears before shearing and between shearing sheep
Pretreat all animals by dipping in a solution of dilute Betadine (an aqueous iodine compound) in a dip tank
To eliminate carriers of the disease from the flock, treat all affected animals with long acting tetracycline when you lance the abscesses later
Develop a closed flock in which all replacements come from within the flock
Answer: Disinfect shears before shearing and between shearing sheep
The correct answer is to disinfect shears before beginning and between shearing sheep. The sheep are most likely being infected with caseous lymphadenitis (also commonly called boils) which is caused by Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. This organism is highly contagious and commonly transmitted at shearing when nicks and cuts occur. When you lance these abscesses, make sure to clean up the area thoroughly and decontaminate everything to avoid spreading the disease.The rancher should also consider vaccination against caseous lymphadenitis.Dipping in Betadine would be prohibitively expensive and likely to stain the wool and be ineffective. Neither other choice is useful in controlling caseous lymphadenitis.
You are called to a small goat dairy to examine three ill does, which are in the final stages of late pregnancy, have stopped eating, and appear to be weak. One has actually died just before you arrived, and you perform a post mortem exam on her. You are amazed to find 5 dead near-term fetuses inside, as well as a pale fatty liver (see photo). Based on this and the appearance of the others, you check their urine and find ketones. What is your diagnosis?
Hypocalcemia
Gossypol toxicity
Hypomagnesemia
Pregnancy toxemia
Hepatotoxicity
Answer: Pregnancy toxemia.
Multiple fetuses can become a space-occupying lesion, making the rumen more difficult to fill, just as the doe requires maximum caloric intake. As she tips over into negative energy balance, utilizes her omental fat stores and develops a fatty liver, she becomes keto-acidotic and develops pregnancy toxemia. To be saved, the other affected animals must have IV glucose and an immediate C section, followed by excellent nutritional support.
They may also need calcium, magnesium and other electrolytes.
Which of these drugs is a neuromuscular blocker when given to a dog?
Naloxone
Neostigmine
Atracurium
Edrophonium
Fentanyl
Answer: Atracurium.
The correct answer is atracurium. Atracurium is a non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocker. Other neuromuscular blockers include pancuronium, d-tubocurarine and succinylcholine. Succinylcholine is a depolarizing neuromuscular blocker. Fentanyl is an opioid. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist. Edrophonium and neostigmine are cholinesterase inhibitors used to reverse neuromuscular blockers.
What species is the principle carrier and vector of Malignant Catarrhal Fever (MCF) virus in North America?
Bison
Horse
Cattle
Sheep
Donkey
Answer: Sheep.
MCF virus is ovine herpes virus-2 (OvHV-2) and is carried by 95-99% of sheep in North America which show no symptoms. It is also carried by 75% of domestic goats, 40% of muskox, 37% of bighorn sheep, 25% of pronghorn antelope, 62% of mouflon sheep, and by a small percentage of elk, mule deer, and white tailed deer. Susceptible hosts include cattle, water buffalo, deer, pigs, and bison; bison are the most susceptible.
What is the primary mode of transmission of West Nile Virus (WNV) between birds?
- Via feces
- Via placenta
- Via mosquitoes
- Via Cnemidocoptes mites
- Via saliva
Answer: via mosquitoes.
Mosquito vectors are the primary mode of transmission for WNV between birds and other hosts (horses, humans). There are infrequent documented cases of the disease being spread by feces or saliva. No mites have been documented to transmit the disease. Birds do not have a placenta.
A backyard hen presents with a history of being previously active followed by sudden death with no premonitory signs. Gross examination reveals an obese hen with pale, friable liver and broad blood clots attached to the liver capsule and extending into the abdomen. There is no evidence of external trauma. The most likely diagnosis is:
Vitamin K deficiency
Histomonas meleagridis infection
Vitamin E deficiency
Larval ascarid migration
Fatty liver/hemorrhagic syndrome
Answer: Fatty liver/hemorrhagic syndrome
Excess lipid accumulation in liver of hens can promote fractures and fatal hepatic hemorrhage.
Which of the following is the causative agent of fowl cholera?
- Mycoplasma gallisepticum
- Chlamydophila psittaci
- Reticuloendotheliosis virus
- Pasteurella multocida
Answer: Pasteurella multocida
The correct answer is Pasteurella multocida.
The bacterium is a gram negative rod. It causes fever, mucoid discharge from the mouth, diarrhea, petechia, ecchymoses, increased pericardial and peritoneal fluid, and death. The chronic form of the disease usually causes localized disease. Diagnosis is based on identifying the organism from samples in conjunction with clinical signs. Vaccines are available for prevention of the disease. Sulfa antibiotics are used for treatment.
A 2-year old MN DSH has recently been treated for a urethral obstruction. He went home last week from the hospital on an acidifying canned diet for this condition.
The owner reports he is passing urine in moderate amounts, but he is still straining frequently. You reexamine the cat and find that the bladder is empty on palpation and the wall feels a little thickened. You are confident that the cat has not re-blocked and the cat’s bloodwork shows normal electrolytes and renal values.
Which of the following medications may help the cat with this problem?
- Amitriptyline
- Phenoxybenzamine
- Phenylpropanolamine
- Methocarbamol
- Prednisolone
Answer: Phenoxybenzamine
This cat is likely suffering from hypertonicity of urethral muscle, which was incited from the recent obstruction and urinary catheter. This can cause spasms, which makes urinating painful and not easily controlled.
Phenoxybenzamine can be used in this case to reduce internal urethral sphincter tone such that the cat may urinate more easily.
Methocarbamol is a muscle relaxant but would not directly help spasms of the urethra.
Prednisolone is not used to help reduce inflammation or spasms in the urethra and may predispose the cat to contracting a urinary infection, especially while his bladder and urethra are compromised.
Phenylpropanolamine is used to treat urinary incontinence from urethral hypotonicity most often in dogs and would be contraindicated in this case.
Amitriptyline is an anti-depressant medication that has been implicated as part of a treatment plan for cats with cystitis, although benefit has never been proven. Because cats with cystitis can flare up during times of stress, the amitriyptyline has been thought to help prevent this. This medication would not work to stop spasms in the urethra.
Which of the following swine pathogens is known to attach to and disrupt the pulmonary mucociliary apparatus?
- Mycoplasma hypneumoniae
- Salmonella choleraesuis
- Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSv)
- Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae
- Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2)
Answer: Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae
The correct answer is Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae. The bacteria attach to the pulmonary mucociliary apparatus and thus prevent it from functioning properly. This in turn makes the lungs much more susceptible to other bacterial infections.
Which of these inhalant anesthetics has the fastest onset of action in the dog?
Desflurane
Isoflurane
Diethyl ether
Halothane
Answer: Desflurane
The correct answer is desflurane. Speed of action of inhalant anesthetics is most directly related to blood-gas solubility. There is an inverse relationship between rapidity of action and the anesthetic’s solubility in the blood, meaning the lower an inhalant’s solubility, the faster its onset of action. This is expressed as the bloodigas partition coefficient. Desflurane has the lowest bloodigas partition coefficient and therefore, has the fastest time of action. In order from fastest to slowest, the inhalants are (desflurane, NO, sevoflurane, isoflurane, enflurane, halothane, diethyl ether, methoxyflurane).
A 1-year old male neutered Siamese presents to you with the clinical signs seen in the image. He is an indoor only cat and the owners recently adopted an 8 week old kitten that he is in contact with. His clinical signs were initially mild and unilateral but progressed to these findings three days later. What are the two most likely pathogens affecting this cat and what is the treatment of choice?
- Feline Calicivirus and Feline Leukemia Virus, topical trifluridine
- Chlamydophilia felis and Cornybacterium
Spp., topical prenisone acetate - Feline Calicivirus and Chlamydophilia felis, oral clavamox
- Feline Herpesvirus-1 and Chlamydophila felis, topical tetracycline
- Mycoplasma felis and Feline Calicivirus, oral amoxicillin
Answer: Feline Herpesvirus-1 and Chlamydophila felis, topical tetracycline
The most common cause of bacterial conjunctivitis in feline patients is Chlamydophila felis. This disease cannot be distinguished from feline Herpesvirus-1 based on clinical appearance alone.
Frequently, feline patients with these symptoms are infected with both of these diseases simultaneously. Diagnosis of Chlamydophila felis is made by visualizing typical elementary bodies in the cytoplasm of conjunctival epithelial cells or obtaining a positive fluorescent antibody (FA) test on a conjunctival scraping. The treatment of Chlamydophila felis is topical tetracycline QID for one week post resolution of clinical signs.
A 10-year-old female spayed DSH presents for dropping food and drooling from the left side. She has no history of trauma but recently has had thick ocular discharge which the owner has had to clean regularly. You perform a neurologic exam and find the following (see image).
The rest of the exam is within normal limits. What do you inform the owner?
- The recommended treatment is a ventral bulla osteotomy
- The cause is most likely idiopathic and carries a good prognosis
- Treatment involves corticosteroid
administration but prognosis for recovery is still guarded - The other side may start to show the same signs within a few weeks to months
Answer: The other side may start to show the same signs within a few weeks to months
This patient has the classic finding associated with unilateral facial nerve paresis.
Unfortunately, it is most commonly idiopathic; however in cats it can sometimes be caused by things such as nasopharyngeal polyps, neoplasia and trauma.
Prognosis for recovery is guarded and the clinical signs are typically permanent. The unaffected facial nerve can become affected as well.
Treatment for idiopathic disease is supportive including eye lubrication and management of corneal ulcers. Drooling usually resolves over several weeks. Steroids have been used in humans with Bell’s palsy but it has not been shown to be effective in animals.
Otitis media-interna and chronic ear disease can make animals at higher risk for nerve paralysis and a CT of the bulla is recommended rather than radiographs. Bulla osteotomy may be
recommended for animals with middle ear disease or those prone to chronic otitis media-interna. In dogs, facial paralysis has been seen with hypothyroidism.
A client brings in her dog that recently ingested rodenticide. You check the box and see that the active ingredient is cholecalciferol. The dog appears clinically normal right now. What would you be concerned might happen if you do nothing at this time?
- Development of organ mineralization
- Development of coagulopathy
- Development of liver failure
- Development of intestinal perforation
- Development of neurologic signs
Answer: Development of organ mineralization
Explanation
The correct answer is development of tissue mineralization. Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3) acts by becoming converted to calcitriol and increases calcium and phosphorus levels leading to mineralization of organs, especially the kidneys.
A 10 year old female spayed Dachshund presents for further evaluation of progressive lameness in the hind.
The owner notes that she has begun intermittently scuffing her hind limbs, has somewhat of a weak or drunken gait in the hind as she walks, and is having trouble rising. Given the answer choices below, what is the best treatment?
- Femoral head ostectomy
- Total hip replacement bilaterally
- Prolonged antibiotic therapy with clindamycin
- Dorsal laminectomy
Answer: Dorsal laminectomy
Explanation
This patient’s clinical signs are consistent with neurological deficits. Although you do not have all of the information necessary to reach a definitive diagnosis, you should have been able to deduce that this patient probably needs a dorsal laminectomy to relieve disc compression.
In order to definitively diagnose the condition you would want to proceed with a complete exam, basic bloodwork, and a CT or MRI of the lumbosacral region. Although this patient does exhibit evidence of hip dysplasia radiographically, the clinical signs are not characteristic of a dog with pain secondary to hip dysplasia. There is no indication of osteomyelitis on these radiographs and the clinical signs are not necessarily suggestive of osteomyelitis.
It is important not to skip ahead to image interpretation without carefully reading the question. Doing so in this case would likely lead you to select the incorrect answer.
Radiographs provided by Adrien Hesperian, DVM, MS, DACVR and University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine