Vomiting/Diarrhea

Question 1

What are possible differentials for GI causes of acute vomiting?

Answer 1

(Foreign body/obstruction, food intolerance/allergy, intussusception, infectious causes (viral, protozoal, fungal, bacterial), and toxins/drugs)

Question 2

Describe large bowel diarrhea.

Answer 2

(Animal has an urgency to go, animal strains to defecate, there may be mucus, and if there is blood it is frank)

Question 3

Describe small bowel diarrhea.

Answer 3

(Animal has no urgency to go but it may be increased frequency, animal will not strain to defecate, and if there is blood it will be digested/melena)

Question 4

What are some dietary causes of acute diarrhea?

Answer 4

(Indiscretion, rapid change in diet, inappropriate diet, food poisoning/contamination, intolerance/allergy but that is usually chronic)

Question 5

What are some other general categories of causes for acute diarrhea, besides dietary?

Answer 5

(Mechanical (intussusception), neoplasia, infectious (parasites, protozoa, viruses, fungi, bacteria), drugs/toxins, pancreatitis, and HGE)

Question 6

What PCV/TS findings are suggestive of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis?

Answer 6

(Elevated PCV/Hct with a normal to low TS; patient should have bloody diarrhea as well)

Question 7

(T/F) The treatment for HGE entails the use of fluid therapy, antibiotics, antiemetics, and pain meds.

Answer 7

(F, there is strong evidence that antimicrobials are not needed in cases of HGE but there is the exception of patients with secondary bacterial sepsis but those cases are rare)