Abdomen Flashcards
What can you look for on post mortem to distinguish bloat as a cause of death from bloat after death?
A ‘bloat line’ on the oesophagus - congested above the diaphragm.
What can cause right sided pings?
- Right displaced abomasum
- Dilation and volvulus / torsion of the caecum
- Intestinal tympany
- Torsion of the coiled colon
- Pneumoperitoneum, pnumorectum or a uterus distended with gad
- Distension of the proximal colon (common)
What is an example of a spasmolytic drug?
Buscopan
You hear a ping in the right paralumbar fossa. Of which disease is this a salient feature?
Dilation, volvulus and torsion of the caecum
What are the clinical signs of right abomasal volvulus?
- sudden onset of abdominal pain
- rapid increase in heart rate abdomen distended on the right
- distended abomasum palpated per rectum in the upper right quadrant
- rectum usually empty - may contain black faeces
- ‘pinging’ area much larger than simple RDA
If you find more than one animal with bloat, which type of bloat are you most likely to be dealing with?
Pasture / frothy bloat
A ping in the highlighted area is associated with what?
Caecal dilation
Large, firm, calcified masses in the omentum are caused by what?
Fat necrosis
What differential diagnoses might you have for dietary abomasal impaction?
- vagus indigestion
- twin pregnancy / hydroallantois
- chronic peritonitis
How old are ‘2 tooth’ cattle?
18-24 months
How would you treat non-life-threatening frothy bloat?
Remove from offending pasture and drench with an antifoaming agent (alcohol ethyloxylate-based bloat drench, parrafin or vegetable oil)
What bacteria causes ‘woody tongue’?
Actinobacillus lignieressi (Gram - bacteria)
What is the normal position of the abomasum?
On the abdominal floor of the right ventral quadrant
What are differential diagnoses for right displaced abomasum and abomasal volvulus?
- Vagus indigestion
- Obstruction of pylorus (phytobezoar)
- Caecal volvulus / torsion
- Abomasal / intestinal ulceration
- Intestinal obstruction
- Mesenteric torsion
- pneumoperitoneum, pneumorectum or gas distended uterus
When would you carry out a rumenotomy (bloat stab)?
Only if the animal is seriously distressed:
- open mouth breathing
- protrusion of tongue
- lying down a lot
How much peritoneal fluid can you expect to obtain from a healthy cow?
1-5mL
What are the most common causes of ascites in cattle?
- severe and protracted liver disease
- cardiac disease
- hypoproteinaemia
- abdominal mesothelioma
You attend a cow in early lactation with moderate inappetance and decreasing milk yield. She was treated for ketosis by the farmer a few days ago. On clinical examination you find that rumen contractions are decreased and you detect a ping on the left side of the abdomen and fluid splashing sounds on auscultation / ballottment.
What is you top differential diagnosis and what are the treatment options?
Left displaced abomasum (LDA)
- surgical correction by:
- right paralumbar fossa omentopexy
- left paralumbar fossa omentopexy
- right paramedian abomasopexy
- ‘rolling’ technique (+/- percutaneous tacks)
What is the salient feature of abomasal ulceration?
Malena
What is the cause of simple indigestion in cattle?
An upset to rumen microflora. Can be triggered by many things:
- sudden introduction to new feed/concentrates
- ingestion of frosted, mouldy, stale, fermenting or sour feeds
- oral administration of antibiotics.
How old are ‘4 tooth’ cattle?
>36 months
What normally happens to gas bubbles produced in the rumen?
They coalesce to form pockets of free gas above the solid/fluid rumen contents. This gas can then be eructated.
What differential diagnoses might you have for actinomycosis (lumpy jaw)?
Tooth root abscess
Enlarged lymph node
Neoplasia
Foreign body
Accumulation of dry feed trapped between teeth and cheek
What are some signs of abdominal pain shown by cattle?
- Bellowing
- Frequently lying down and getting back up
- Kicking at ventral abdomen
What is a ‘ruminal drinker’ and what occurs?
Milk enters the rumen instead of the abomasum in calves. Rumen putrefaction follows - rumen pH can fall significantly producing chronic moderate rumen tympany.
You attend a very weak, depressed dairy cow. She has had an acute, severe drop in milk production and has a distended right abdomen. The farmer reports diarrhoea with blood clots.
What are your differential diagnoses?
Jejunal haemorrhage syndrome
Salmonellosis
Intusussception
What are the risk factors for LDA?
- High producing, adult dairy cows
- Most cases within 1 month of calving
- Heavy grain feeding / low fibre in diet
A ping over a very large area on the right side and increased heart rate combined are salient features for what?
Abomasal volvulus
What is the main presenting sign of bloat?
Severe distension of the left paralumbar fossa following feeding.
What is the salient feature of an intestinal phytobezoar?
Pasty and foul smelling yellow/grey mayoinnaise faeces
What bacteria causes ‘lumpy jaw’?
Actinomyces bovis (Gram + filamentous rods)
What is ‘red gut’ in calves?
Intestinal intusussception - associated with ad lib milk feeding systems (uncontrolled and excess intake)
If you only have one animal with bloat, which type of bloat are you most likely to be dealing with?
Secondary / gaseous bloat
What causes primary (frothy/pasture) bloat?
Gas bubbles are trapped in a ‘foam’ (increased rumen fluid viscosity / fine particles of feed). Prevents eructation and leads to bloat.
What is the treatment for actinobacillosis?
Sodium iodide (I/V) - can cause abortion
Use oxytetracyclines in pregnant animals
Describe rumen contractions during pasture bloat:
At first they will be increased and then as the rumen is stretched you get hypomotility
You attend a cow with a small amount of greenish rumen fluid discharging from nostrils. On rectal exam, there is not a lot of faeces present. When you remove your arm, your glove smells foul and looks like the following:
What is at the top of your differential diagnoses?
Intestinal phytobezoar
What indicates poor prognosis in a case of right abomasal volvulus?
- HR >120 bpm
- >15% dehydrated
- Abomasum is blue/black on surgery
What supportive treatment can you provide in a case of LDA?
- Oral / systemic calcium to correct hypomotility
- Oral electrolytes of dehydrated
- Treat concurrent ketosis - oral propylene glycol + IV dextrose
- +/- NSAIDs for pain relief
- Antibiotics for concurrent infection
This is the right side of a cow. If you heard pinging over the shaded area in this diagram, what would be a likely diagnosis?
Right abomasal volvulus
If you feel adhesions on rectal, what should you think of?
Peritonitis
In cattle, why is localised peritonitis a more likley outcome than diffuse peritonitis?
Have good ability to wall off infections in the abdomen with omentum
A png over this area is associated with what?
Caecal volvulus / torsion - slightly larger area than just dilation
