13.Examination of the endocrine organs Flashcards
Main endocrine organs:
Pituitary gland parathyroid gland ovaries adrenal gland thyroid gland pancreas testes.
Which diseases are more common in dogs?
More common: • Hypothyroidism • Diabetes mellitus • Hypercortisolism (Cushing-syndrome) • Hypoadrenocorticism (Addison-disease)
Which diseases are more common in cats?
More common:
• Hyperthyroidism
• Diabetes mellitus
What are important signs?
Appetite PU/PD activity other organ system signs (vomitus, diarrhea, neuro signs , skin abnormalities) Previous medication.
Values of PD:
Dog: > 90-100 ml/kg/day
Cat: > 50 ml/kg/day
values of PU:
> 50 ml/kg/day
When should you consider PU?
- Previously house-trained dog starts to void urine in the house
- More frequent need to change the litter, cat urinates beside the litter
- Distended bladder palpated by a dehydrated animal
What can make PU hard to diagnose?
- Multi-animal households
- Outdoor access
Which glands are possible to check with a physical exam?
Thyroid gland and testicles
Which examinations are done to check the endocrine glands?
Blood examination and urinalysis
Which blood examinations are done to check the endocrine glands?
– Hematology
– Biochemistry (glucose, ALKP, lipids, Na, K, Ca…)
– Hormonal assays
What are checked in the urinalysis?
– USG, glucose, keton, secondary urinary tract infections
– Hormone assays from the urine (UCCR)
what is the goal of the lab examinations?
– Find the consequences of hormonal disease
– Find concurrent diseases
– Exclude/diagnose other diseases causing similar symptoms
which test are done to determined a hypofunction?
a stimulation test
which test are done to determined a hyperfunction?
suppression test
Which endocrine glands can you examine with ultrasound?
- Cervical: thyroid, parathyroid glands
* Abdomen: adrenal glands, pancreas
What can you see on radiographs?
• urolithiasis, hepatomegaly
Which glands can we examine with cross-sectional imaging: CT/MRI?
- Skull: pituitary gland
- Cervical: thyroid gland
- Abdomen: pancreas, adrenals
Which hormones are specific for the pituitary gland and which disease do they indicate?
ADH - decrease=DM
GH - decrease = Hyposomatotropism, increase = Hypersomatotropism / Acromegaly
ACTH - increase = cushing
Charactheristics of hyposomatotropism
- Congenital
- Failure to thrive → proportional dwarfism
- Retrained puppy coat
- Brachygnathia inferior
Charactheristics of hypersomatotropism
- PU/PD, polyphagia, weight gain
- Big broad head, big paws
- Big tongue/ wide interdental spaces
- Prognathia inferior
- Enlargement of abdominal organs
- intact females
- concurrent diabetes
Charactheristics of hypothyrodism:
Breed predisposition • Obesity • Decreased activity • Symmetrical alopecia, hyperpigmentation • Bradycardia • Hypothermia • T4/TSH measurement • TSH-stimulation test
Charactheristics of hyperthyrodism:
- PU/PD, polyphagia, weight loss
- Decreased body and muscle condition
- Unkept haircoat
- Triagle-shaped head
- Tachycardia
- Galopp rhythm
- Cardiac murmur
- Labial (open-mouth) breathing without cyanosis
- Palpable thyroid gland ~ 80% „thyroid slip”
Dg: T4 measurement
Which diseases are specific for the adrenal gland?
Addison, cushing, pheochromocytoma, primary hyperaldosteronism
