Alterations in Alimentary And Hepatic Function 88-106

Question 1

List the 6 mechanisms the produce diarrhea

Answer 1

1. Osmotic pull due to increase in particles within intestinal lumen
2. Destruction of absorptive surface (malabsorptive)
3. Increased volume of secretion of solutes and water
4. Abnormal intestinal motility, resulting in decreased transit time
5. Increased blood-to-lumen pressure as in heart failure or acute/chronic IBD
6. GI inflammation as occurring with peritonitis

All leading to an increase in fecal water

Question 2

Malabsorptive diarrhea is caused by damage of which intestinal cells:

A) Goblet cells of the large intestine
B) Columnar epithelium of the large intestine
C) Crypt cells of the small intestine
D) Goblet cells of the small intestine

Answer 2

C) Crypt cells are damaged and loss of these causes villous blunting. These cells are absorptive

Question 3

Malabsorptive diarrhea can cause loss of important enzymes. Which is an important enzyme that neonates with enteritis lose, especially with rotaviral or clostridial diarrhea?

A) Lactase
B) Cellulase
C) Protease
D) Amylase

Answer 3

A) Lactase; lack of this enzyme can cause neonates to be transiently lactose intolerant

Question 4

Inflammatory diarrheal processes cause dysentery, due to what?

Answer 4

Dysentery, or bloody diarrhea, is caused from the transduction and exudation of serum proteins, blood and/or mucus.

Question 5

What are the normal parameters for abdominal fluid evaluation?

Color - 
Total protein - 
Specific gravity - 
Fibrinogen - 
WBCs -

Answer 5

Color - clear, colorless to yellow
Total protein - < 2.5 g/dL
Specific gravity - < 1.015 
Fibrinogen - little to none, < 100 mg/dL
WBCs - < 5000

Question 6

How much blood is required to produce a positive fecal occult blood test?

A) 0.5 L
B) 1-2 L
C) 3-4 L
D) > 5 L

Answer 6

B) 1-2 L

Question 7

Describe the difference between regurgitation vs vomiting.

Answer 7

Regurgitation is a reflux, causing esophagus, rumen or gastric contents coming up into the mouth or the nose.

Vomiting is a coordinated, medulla mediated event, usually preceded by nausea, increased salivation or retching.

Question 8

The causes of dysphagia can be distributed into three clinical categories. What are those?

Answer 8

1) Pain induced
2) Neurologic
3) Obstructive

Mechanical interference could be another, but usually manifests similar to pain induced lesions.

Question 9

Saliva loss can occur with dysphagia. Which of the following describes biochemical changes in a horse and a bovid, with excessive salivary loss?

A) Metabolic alkalosis
B) Metabolic acidosis

Answer 9

Horse - A) metabolic alkalosis due to the high amount of salivary chloride and low salivary bicarb

Bovid - B) metabolic acidosis due to the high amount of salivary sodium and bicarb

Question 10

List diseases that can cause oral lesions in horses.

Answer 10

Vesicular stomatitis 
Phenylbutazone toxicity 
Yellow bristle grass (Setaria lutescens)
Other plant awn stomatitis 
Oral foreign body

Question 11

List some infectious diseases that could cause oral lesions in ruminants

Answer 11

Bluetongue (O)
Contagious ecthyma (O, C)
BVDV (B)
Bovine papular stomatitis (B)
Vesicular stomatitis 
MCF (B)
Foot and mouth disease

Question 12

Fluoride toxicosis can result in dental abnormalities in young animals with developing teeth. What are these abnormalities?

Answer 12

Teeth may appear chalky, mottled, striated, or hypoplastic. They may also have defective calcification. In severe cases, may be yellow, brown, black or have multiple caries.

Question 13

Porphyria is a rare congenital condition of cattle, transmitted by a simple autosomal recessive gene. How do the teeth of these animals appear?

Answer 13

Pink, bc of porphyrins and fluoresce pink purple or red when exposed to UV light. Calves also have photosensitization and anemia.