Abdominal pain in small animals Flashcards
Define acute abdomen
Severe abdominal pain, caused by acute disease or of injury to the internal organs (24-48 hour duration)
How to identify an acute abdomen
HISTORY - V/R, anorexia/decreased appetite, lethargy, behaviour, gait, prayer position, grunting, groaning, biting, progression, recent surgery, toxin, medication, FB, urination, defaecation, vaccination, worming, spey/neutered/on-heat, travel history
PE - SPECIFIC (abdominal palpation - pain and its location, fluid thrill versus tympany, physiological changes - tachycardia, tachypnea, panting) AND GENERAL - Triage and general (oral, hydration, rectal exam, temperature, LNs)
Plan for acute abdomen
- DDx
- diagnostic plan
- treatment plan
- follow up plan
Physiological approach to DDx for acute abdominal pain
MECHANISMS - distension, inflammation, ischaemia, traction
ORGANS - any in abdomen
‘Vitamin D’ approach to DDx for acute abdominal pain
VASCULAR - thrombosis, haemorrhage INFECTION/INFLAMMATION/IMMUNE-MEDIATED TOXIN/TRAUMA ANOMLAOUS METABOLIC IATROGENIC/IDIOPATHIC NEOPLASIA/NUTRITION DEGENERATIVE
Look alikes of acute abdominal pain - 4
Spinal pain, nervousness, respiratory, hyperaesthesia
Stomach cuases
GDV, mesenteric torsion, infarction, ulceration, infection (parvo, HGE), FB, intussusception, toxin, neoplasia
Pancreas causes
Pancreatitis, abscesses, neoplasia
Liver causes
Torsion, cholangiohepatitis, abscess, bile obstruction
Spleen causes
torsion, infarction, haematoma, abscess, neoplasia
‘Cavity’ causes
PERITONEAL vs RETROPERITONEAL septic peritonitis (GIT, repro, external), uroperitoneum, bile peritonitis, severe distension frm transudate/haemabdomen, abdominal wall trauma
Renal causes
infarction, pyelonephritis, neoplasia
Bladder/urethral causes
cysititis, calculi, urethral obstruction
Reproductive causes
pyometra, dystocia, prostatic abscess, prostatitis
