Alimentary System (Tract) Flashcards
Oral Cavity
Dogs & Cats: Neoplasia
Ruminants & Pigs: Infectious
Horses: Colic (intestinal displacements)
Oral or gastro-intestinal mucosa
Should be smooth & shiny
Common sample that is an important sign of health
Feces
Pathogenic agent entry points:
Ingestion (most common)
Lungs: cough & swallow
Systemic
Migration through body (parasites)
Oral congenital anomalies
Palatoschisis
Cheiloschisis
Brachygnathia
Prognathia
Palatoschisis
Cleft palate: central defect in the midline fusion of the palatine shelves resulting in communication between the oral and nasal cavities
Cheiloschisis
Cleft lip:
Causes of Palatoschisis & Cheiloschisis
Genetic (usually)
Toxins: Veratrum californicum, teratogenic plants (lupines, poison hemlock in cattle & sheep)
Maternal exposure to drugs: griseofulvin in queens and mares; steroids in primates
Malocclussions
Failure of the upper and lower incisors to interdigitate properly. Can result in prehension and mastication difficulties.
Brachygnathia
Short lower jaw
Prognathia
Protruston of the lower jaw
Dental attrition
Loss of tooth structure caused by mastication
Step mouth
Abnormal wearing; most commonly seen in herbivores
Peridontal disease cased by:
Resident bacteria. They set up a film that produces enzymes & acids. These lead to enamel, gingival, and peridontal ligament damage. Resulting in dental plaque and dental calculus (mineralized dental plaque)
Primary tongue diseases are rare. What is the one exception?
Wooden tongue. Actinobacillosis (Actinobacillus lignieresii). Primarily in cattle. Can also be in swine & sheep.
Thrush is caused by? in what age group usually?
Candida species (ex: Candida albicans). Usually in young animals with prolonged antibiotic exposure or underlying disease.
Lingual lesions are often…
a manifestation of systemic diseases such as: renal disease (uremic glossitis), BVD, and viral infections (ex. FMD)
Stomatitis can be caused by…
Infectious agents Trauma Chemical injury Auto-immune Idiopathic
Vesicles
Raised lesion (up to 1 cm in the largest dimension) filled with clear (serous) fluid located within the epithelium or between the epithelium and lamina propria
Bulla
Larger version of a vesicle
What should you rule out when you find vesicles in the oral cavity of dogs & cats?
Immune mediated diseases.
Cats can result in Calicivirus infections
What should you rule out when you find vesicles in the oral cavity of food animals and large animals?
Rule out major viral diseases.
Usually non-fatal, but can cause large economic losses.
Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD)
Picornavirus
Ruminants & Pigs
NOT in HORSES
Vesicular Stomatitis (VS)
Rhabdovirus
Ruminants, pigs, horses
Vesicular Exanthema of Swine (VES)
Calicivirus
Pigs ONLY
Swine Vesicular Disease (SVD)
Enterovirus
Pigs ONLY
(T or F) FMD, VS, VES, & SVD are reportable in both the US & Canada
True
Four major things to look for in the esophagus
Megaesophagus
Secondary megaesophagus
Choke
Inflammation
Three major things to look for in the forestomach
Bloat (tympany)
FB: traumatic, reticuloperitonitis
Rumenitis & acidosis (carb overload)
Ruminal Tympany or bloat
Over distention of the rumen & reticulum by gases produced during fermentation.
Primary cause: new diets. Promote stable foam formation
Secondary cause: Physical of functional esophagus obstruction resulting in failure to eructate (ex. vagus indigestion, esophagel papillomas, lymphosarcomas, etc.)
Abomasal displacement
Post parturition dairy cows and calves (most common)
Left sided: most common. Generally non-fatal. Partial obstruction of abomasal flow.
Right sided: ~15% of cases. 20% of which result in abomasal volvulus.
Both lead to abdominal pain, increased heart rate, anorexia, dehydration, decrease peristalsis with lack of feces, and abomasal tympany (high pitch elicited by percussion)
