Approach to Medical Diseases of Large Colon Flashcards
Is diarrhea a SI or large colon issue in the horse?
large colon
what are the top 10 differential diagnoses for equine colitis?
- Salmonella spp.
- Clostridia spp.
- Antibiotic induced
- Potomac horse fever
- equine enteric coronavirus
- larval cyathostominosis
- blister beetle/cantharidin
- NSAIDS
- sand
- carbohydrate overload
How many times do you culture an infected Salmonella horse before letting it go back around other animals?
5 times negative
How do you treat a horse with Salmonella
supportive care - IV fluids, colloids, anti-inflammories/anti-endotoxin, laminitis prevention, parenteral nutrition
What is one of the first things you have to consider when a horse has diarrhea?
Biosecurity
treat like an infectious disease until proven otherwise
When do you treat Salmonella and Clostridia based diarrhea with antibiotics?
Salmonella - foal or severe neutropenia
Clostridia - always
What antibiotic is most sensitive to causing antibiotic induced diarrhea?
macrolides
What causes Potomac horse fever? Where is it common?
Neorickettsia risticii - lives in monocytes
common in NE
what do you treat potomac horse fever with?
tetracycline and supportive care
What would be on your differential list for fever of unknown origin out of the top 10 causes of diarrhea?
Equine enteric coronavirus
Which of the diagnoses for equine colitis would show internal diarrhea - BW indicates about to have it but has not happened yet?
Equine enteric coronavirus
Which of the equine colitis differentials could be prevented with parasite and anthelminthic practice?
Larval cyathostominosis
What treats Larval cyathostominosis? where is it more common?
moxidectin
more common - back east
Which of the enteric colitis differentials would fit best for a horse from Oklahoma or Texas that has recently switched to alfalfa hay?
Blister beetle / cantharidin
How does blister beetle / cantharidin cause equine colitis? How can it be diagnosed?
toxic
diagnosed - beetle sighting, toxin ID in urine
What is something you would not want to give to a horse that has cantharidin toxicity?
oil, it would inc abs of toxin
Which part of the colon is most affected by NSAIDs?
right dorsal colon - can end up with strictures
How can you diagnose sand colic and what do you treat with?
diagnose - sand float, auscultation
treat - psyllium, oil
What is a hug risk for a horse with carbohydrate overload?
laminitis
How do you treat a horse with carbohydrate overload?
gastric lavage
How is a cecal impact mostly diagnosed?
rectal palpation
What is the biggest risk with cecal impactions - how does this happen?
rupture
cecum can fill up and become full before becoming impacted - painful for a few days and the cecum ruptures
Does a large colon impaction always require hospitlization?
no some can be handled on-farm with oral fluids and analgesics
what is this arterial blood gas?
uncompensated metabolic acidosis
Given these results what is your diagnosis for a horse with equine colitis?
Salmonella colitis and possible larval cyathostominosis (can’t rule out with a horse shedding Salmonella)
What is a complication of IV tetracycline administration?
hypocalcium
animal can collapse
which antibiotic is given to which situation?
Situation - severe neutropenia, clostridial infection, potomac horse fever
Antibiotics - tetracycline, broad-spectrum, metronidazole
Severe neutropenia - broad spectrum
Clostridial infection - metronidazole
Potomac horse fever - tetracycline
what is the treatment plan for pelvic flexure impaction?
analgesics
mineral oil, water, electrolytes via NG tube
Given these rectal exam findings what is your diagnosis?
