Ancillary Tests Flashcards
What organs can the ultrasound be useful in scanning in cattle?
majority of the small intestine
What is the goal of a CBC in cattle?
- Look for differentiating variables of Sx vs Med lesions
- Clinical exam pointing to GI origin Disease
- Examples:
- Severe leukopenia with degenerative left shift make enterotoxemia a top DDx
- WBC 12,000 /ul 5% bands ⇢ obstruction? localized peritonitis?
- WBC 3,000/ul 30% bands ⇢ Salmonella / Enterotoxemia
- Anemia and hypoproteinemia in a Holstein cow with melena makes bleeding abomasal ulcer a top DDx
- Anemia, leukocytosis and hyperproteinemia?
- need to differentiate Protein contribution to elevation (fibrinogen fraction vs globulins)
- Severe leukopenia with degenerative left shift make enterotoxemia a top DDx
- Examples:
What is the Goal of Chemistry tests in cattle?
- Downer Syndrome
- Organ Failure/insult
- Electrolytes consistent with intestinal/forestomach obstruction
- HypoCL, HypoK, metabolic alkalosis
- consistent w/ Upper SI/abomasum lesions
- Obstruction/Displacement
- HypoCL, HypoK, acidosis or normal pH
- Suggestive of “indigestion”
- Or severe intestinal disease/obstruction (necrotic bowel)
- Hyponatremia, HypoCl, normal pH
- How long? how severe diarrhea?
- HypoCL, HypoK, metabolic alkalosis
How should serum samples from cattle be handled?
- Clot at room temp and remove serum (30 min)
- Refrigerate up to 36hr / freeze for several days
What can an Albumin to Globulin ratio (A:G) tell you in cattle?
- Less than 0.85 may indicate chronic inflammation
What does Sorbitol Dehydrogenase (SDH) indicate?
liver injury
What does GGT indicate in cattle?
- Cholestasis instead of injury
- great indicator of colostrum intake in calves
What does Creatinine Kinase indicate in ruminants?
- More useful for renal disease than BUN
- Prognostic enzyme in down animals
How is Fibrinogen measured in cattle?
- Heat precipitate from plasma and measure difference of TP between samples
- Normal should be less than 500 grams
- Coffee cup method: 130F water for 3 minutes
- Difference between TP measurements is estimated fibrinogen
- EX:
- initial TP 9.5 on refractometer
- Post-heat treatment is 8
- estimated fibrinogen is ~1.5g
OBJ: What are the expected CBC findings for a patient with enterotoxemia?
Neutropenia/lymphopenia
Hyperproteinemia
OBJ: What are the expected CBC findings for a cow with hardware disease?
Mature Neutrophilia, possibly left shift
Hyperproteinemia
OBJ: What are serum chemistry expectations for Gastro(abomasal)-intestinal obstruction?
- CBC may vary depending on duration and process
- pH (alkalosis)
- hypochloremic
- If a distal lesion - takes a while to develop
- If an adult with suspected intestinal obstruction is acidotic - poor prognosis and often indicates necrotic bowel
OBJ: What are the serum chemistry expectations for a neonatal calf with diarrhea?
- CBC is variable
- pH (acidotic)
- hyponatremic, but may be hypochloremic
- Hypoproteinemia may indicate passive transfer issues
OBJ: What are the serum chemistry expectations for a Johne’s patient?
- pH tends to remain on the alkalosis side despite profuse waery diarrhea
- Chloride will drop, as well as sodium
- Often Panhypoproteinemic
What structures can we readily ultrasound in cattle to assist in diagnosis of abdominal disease?
small intestine
What is the methylene Blue Reduction test?
- evaluates for protazoa
- Place 10 ml of rumen fluid into a blood tube
- Add 0.5 ml of 0.04% methylene blue to the tube and invert several times for mixing
- Record the time needed to return the sample to its original color
What does a CSF cytology look for in cattle?
indications of meningeal worms
