Approach to Urinary Tract Problems and Liver Disease in Cows Flashcards
Urinary Disease Clinical Signs in cattle
Non-specific – weight loss, D+, (abdominal pain – arch back, paddling feet, rolling, grunting)
Specific – enlarged kidney on rectal, abnormal urine (pus, blood), stranguria (straining), dysuria (painful), pollakuria (increased), crystals on prepuce (can be normal), urine scalding
PUPD hard to assess
Which kidney to you palpate when during a cattle rectal palpation
palpate LEFT kidney sub-lumbar/midline and bladder in ventral abd (if full)
Feel for enlargement, pain, change in texture
Suggest ways to get urine sample in cattle
Free catch (esp when get up)
Stimulation ventral to vulva (DON’T HOLD TAIL!)
Urethral Catheterisation
pH of urine of normal cow
7-8 more alkaline than most species
Causes of Pyelonephritis in cattle
Sporadic pyelonephritis in animals is often caused by bacteria like Corynebacterium renale (aerobe) or Escherichia coli, transmitted through carriers, contaminated environments, or ascending routes from the uterus or neonatal infections.
Clinical signs of pyelonephritis in cattle
ill thrift, intermittent pyrexia, abdominal pain, enlarged kidney on rectal, pus/blood visible in urine
Diagnosis of pyelonephritis in cattle
Urinalysis – leukocytes, haematuria, protein
Ultrasound scan - abnormal
Treatment of pyelonephritis in cattle
3-week course broad spec abs that is excreted via urine and not nephrotoxic (amoxy clav or TMPS)
What antibiotic is toxic to the kidney
Not aminoglycosides i.e. Pen Strep
Clinical signs of amyloidosis in cattle
ill thrift, frothy urine, enlarged kidney, d+, oedema (low albumin)
Diagnosis of amyloidosis in cattle
Urinalysis - protein ++, low SG (no blood or WBC)
Biochem - hypoalbuminaemia, hyperglobulinaemia
Treatment of amyloidosis
None
Urolithiasis - site of infection in cattle
Sigmoid flexure, diverticulum
Urolithiasis is most common in what kind of cattle
Mainly castrated young bulls/tups (and goats)
Associated with
high Ca or concentrate diet (show animals)
restricted water
nidus of inflammatory cells
Treatment of urolithiasis
Surgical treatment
NSAID and local via pudendal nerve block to straighten sigmoid flexure
Smooth muscle relaxant- Clenbuterol
Sedation - ACP, Xylazine
Broad spectrum antibiotic for secondary cystitis and NSAID for pain
How to prevent urolithiasis from forming in cattle
Balancing Ca:P = 1.5-2:1
Feeding ammonium chloride to increase acidity (for struvite or calcium carbonate)
Free access to water or salt licks to encourage water intake
Clinical signs of cystisis in cattle
Similar to pyelonephritis
Treatment of cytisis in cattle
Use 1st principles for FI/Tx
7 days antibiotics
Name the parasite that infects cattle that causes it to have discoloured urine (red)
Babesia divergens
Treatment for babesia divergens
Imidocarb (‘Imizol’) Double dose for prev
Blood transfusion
Notify DVM
Vax
Name 4 reasons for cattle to have discoloured urine(Red)
- Babesia
- Post parturient haemoglobinuria
- Brassicas poisoning
- Bacillary haemoglobinuria
- Copper poisoning
Cause of post parturient haemoglobinuria
Low phosphorus
Recently calved, diet change
Cause of Brassicas poisoning
Feeding only brassicas for 3 weeks, haemolysis
Treatment for post parturient haemoglobinuria
Phosphorus
Treatment for Brassicas (rape/kale) poisoning
Blood transfusion, supportive
Cause of Bacillary Haemoglobinuria
Clostridium novyi type D (soil)
Found in liver of healthy animals (latency)
Migrating fluke/liver disease damage liver and allow bacteria to proliferate
Treatment of Bacillary haemoglobinuria
Penicillin
Cause of copper poisoning
Over supplementation, wrong feeding
Haemoglobinuria vs Haematuria
Haemoglobinuria is the presence of free hemoglobin in urine, typically resulting from intravascular hemolysis, while haematuria involves intact red blood cells in the urine, indicating bleeding along the urinary tract.
Does Bracken poisoning cause haemoglobinuria or Haematuria
Haematuria. Rhizome or young shoots (frond) if no grass contains carcinogen and cyanogenic glycoside that destroys BM and induces cancer
Abnormal levels of Glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH) suggest?
HepotoceLLular i.e. hepatocyte damage
Abnormal levels of Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) suggest?
Bile duct dysfunction, choleostasis
Abnormal levels of Alkaline phosphatase (AP) suggest?
Liver and bone
choleostasis
Where to palpate liver in cattle?
Behind last rib
Where to ultrasound liver in cattle
9th – 11th IC space on RIGHT side
Cause of liver abscess in cattle
Bacteraemia from either
Navel ill
Acidosis (which leads to ruminitis and bacteria get into portal circulation
F Necrophorum (-, anaerobe, present in rumen) and T pyogenes (+, facultative anaerobe),
Pathophysiology of Vena Cava Thrombosis in cattle from acidosis
Acidosis in the rumen of cattle initiates a cascade of events, leading to ruminitis, bacterial leakage into the portal circulation, liver abscess formation, release of emboli into circulation, pulmonary complications like suppurative bronchopneumonia, vascular issues resulting in aneurysm, and ultimately contributing to epistaxis (nosebleeds)
How many types of photo sensitisation in cattle are there
4
Type 1 (Primary) photosensitisation
Cause: Direct ingestion or exposure to photosensitizing substances, often in certain plants, results in primary photosensitization.
Substances: Plants such as St. John’s Wort, buckwheat, and certain clovers contain photodynamic compounds that, when ingested, lead to skin sensitivity upon exposure to sunlight.
Liver Involvement: The liver is typically not directly affected, but the ingested compounds are metabolized in the liver and excreted in bile, leading to skin reactions when exposed to sunlight.
Type 2- Congenital disease where photodynamic agent not processed
Can present with neurological signs
Young animal
Type 3-Liver damage from disease or poison so photodynamic agents not processed
Many liver diseases to consider. Biochem for liver enzymes key here
Pathophysiology of prehepatic jaundice
Cause: toxins (copper), blood born parasites (babesia)
Effect: Haemolysis (increased production of bilirubin)
Pathophysiology of hepatic jaundice
Cause: Fatty liver, liver fluke (acute), liver abscess, hepatitis, neoplasia
Effect: Unable to process bilirubin
Pathophysiology of post hepatic jaundice
Cause: Bile duct tumour, liver fluke (chronic
Effect: Unable to excrete bilirubin
