Cardiorespiratory disease Flashcards

1
Q

Normal rabbit radiographic findings

A
  • the thoracic cavity is small in comparison with the abdominal cavity
  • the heart occupies a relatively large volume of the thoracic cavity
  • ^ means that minor lung pathology can have big consequences clinically
  • the small cranial lung lobes are not seen in as much detail as the caudal lobes
  • the aorta and caudal vena cava should be visible
  • the pulmonary vessels can be seen within the lungs
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2
Q

Clinical signs of respiratory dz in small mammals

A
  • lethargy
  • poor coat
  • anorexia
  • audible clicking
  • sneezing
  • ocular discharge (e.g. porphyrin)
  • nasal discharge
  • dyspnoea/ abdo heaving
  • head tilt if middle ear involved
  • open mouth breathing
  • often see minimal, non-specific signs
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3
Q

Clinical signs of respiratory dz in reptiles

A
  • lethargy
  • anorexia
  • weight loss
  • difficulty breathing
  • open mouth breathing
  • wheezes or crackles
  • ocular and/or nasal discharge
  • stomatitis
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4
Q

Clinical signs of respiratory dz in birds

A
  • lethargy
  • anorexia
  • ‘fluffed up’
  • crusting around nares
  • periorbital swelling
  • dyspnoea or ‘tail bobbing’
  • voice change
  • tachypnoea
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5
Q

Degree of disease when you see signs of respiratory dz in birds (& why)

A
  • very bad
  • they hide symptoms well
  • also their respiratory tract is very effective so if a bird is struggling to breathe there is a lot of damage
  • they can go downhill very quickly
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6
Q

Common causes of respiratory dz in small mammals

A
  • URT bacterial infections
  • LRT bacterial infections
  • viruses (respiratory or systemic)
  • fungal infections
  • parasitic (e.g. lungworm [ferrets])
  • husbandry (allergy, dust, poor ventilation, stress, poor diet)
  • dental disease
  • circulatory causes
  • trauma
  • space occupying lesions
  • foreign bodies
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7
Q

What can URT bacterial infections in small mammals & reptiles cause?

A
  • rhinitis
  • also affects structures outside of there respiratory tract, e.g. conjunctivitis, nasolacrimal duct infections, otitis media
  • dental disease is often related to URT dz in small mammals
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8
Q

What can LRT bacterial infections in small mammals & reptiles cause?

A
  • tracheitis
  • bronchitis
  • pneumonia
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9
Q

Examples of fungal infections in small mammals

A
  • Aspergillosis – more likely if outdoor pets
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10
Q

Examples of circulatory causes of respiratory disease in small mammals

A
  • heart disease (pulmonary oedema)
  • arteriosclerosis
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11
Q

Examples of trauma causing respiratory dz in small mammals

A
  • lung contusion
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12
Q

Examples of space occupying lesions causing respiratory dz in small mammals?

A
  • abscesses
  • tumours
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13
Q

What small mammals spp is Mycoplasma typically seen in?

A
  • rats
  • hence why LRT disease e.g. pneumonia, is often seen in rats
  • can be passed onto other animals very easily
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14
Q

Common respiratory pathogens in Guinea Pigs

A
  • Bordetella bronchiseptica
  • Chlamydophila caviae
  • Adenovirus
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15
Q

Common respiratory pathogens in rabbits

A
  • Pasteurella multocida
  • Bordetella bronchiseptica
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16
Q

Common respiratory pathogens in rats and mice

A
  • Mycoplasma pulmonic
  • Pasteurella pneumotropica
  • Strep pneumoniae
  • Sendai virus (mice)
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17
Q

Common respiratory viruses in reptiles (species examples)

A
  • Herpes virus: tortoises
  • adenovirus: lizards
  • ophidian paramyxovirus (OPMV): snakes
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18
Q

Common causes of respiratory dz in reptiles

A
  • URT bacterial infections
  • LRT bacterial infections
  • viruses
  • fungal infections
  • parasitic (e.g. lungworm [snakes], Rhabdias, Ascarids)
  • husbandry (high or low temperature, high humidity levels, stress, poor ventilation)
  • dental disease
  • circulatory causes
  • trauma
  • space occupying lesions
  • foreign bodies
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19
Q

Examples of fungal infections in reptiles

A
  • candida
  • aspergillosis
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20
Q

What dental dz can lead to stomatitis in reptiles?

A
  • periodontal dz
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21
Q

Examples of circulatory causes of respiratory dz in reptiles

A
  • septic endocarditis
  • congestive heart failure
22
Q

Examples of space occupying lesions in reptiles that cause respiratory dz?

A
  • abscesses
  • tumours
  • reproductive dz
  • coelomic effusions
  • granulomas
23
Q

What organism can URT infections in chelonians be related to?

A
  • Mycoplasma
24
Q

Common causes of respiratory dz in birds

A
  • URT bacterial infections
  • LRT bacterial infections
  • viruses (respiratory or systemic)
  • fungal infections
  • parasitic (e.g. Syngamus trachea (gapeworm in chickens)
  • husbandry (allergy, stress, low humidity, poor hygiene/ventilation, hypovitaminosis A)
  • dental disease
  • circulatory causes
  • trauma
  • space occupying lesions
  • foreign bodies
25
Q

What can URT bacterial infections cause in birds?

A
  • rhinitis
  • sinusitis
  • conjunctivitis
26
Q

What can LRT bacterial infections cause in birds?

A
  • tracheitis
  • bronchitis
  • airsacculitis
  • pneumonia e.g. Psittacosis (Chlamydia psittaci)
27
Q

Circulatory causes of respiratory dz in birds

A
  • heart disease (pulmonary oedema)
  • arteriosclerosis
28
Q

Virus causing respiratory dz in chickens

A
  • infectious laryngotracheitis
29
Q

Example of fungal infection causing respiratory dz in birds

A
  • Aspergillosis
30
Q

Examples of space occupying lesions that cause respiratory dz in birds

A
  • tumours
  • organomegaly
  • reproductive dz
  • obesity
  • rhinoliths
  • pulmonary fibrosis
  • choanal atresia
  • occluding fungal plaques
31
Q

What animal is particularly susceptible to fumes and smokes?

A
  • birds
32
Q

What do foreign bodies in the respiratory tract cause in birds?

A
  • granulomatous tracheitis
33
Q

Diagnostic options

A
  • imaging (radiography, CT, endoscopy, US)
  • bacteriology (C&ST)
  • PCR testing
  • blood testing
34
Q

What will the WBCc be for septic reptiles?

A
  • low
35
Q

Bloodwork (use)

A
  • used to detect inflammatory process/infection, organ damage (e.g. liver or kidney)
  • can be between normal ranges despite pathology of the respiratory tract
  • can help determine severity and help with stabilisation (blood gases/acid-base)
36
Q

Examples of respiratory pathogens you would PCR for

A
  • Mycoplasma
  • Herpes
37
Q

What samples can you take to get a representative samples? (& what spp)

A
  • deep nasal swab: rabbits
  • nasal flush: birds
  • nasolacrimal duct flush: rabbits
  • lesion/oral swab (reptile PCR)
  • BAL/trach lavage (2ml/kg)
38
Q

Tx plan

A
  • oxygen
  • fluids and supportive nutrition
  • nebulisation
  • bronchodilator
  • mucolytic
  • anti-inflammatory
  • tx for specific causes (e.g. ABs, furosemide, acyclovir, antifungals, antiparasitics, husbandry changes, surgery, etc)
39
Q

What can nebulisation be useful for?

A
  • thick secretions
40
Q

What is F10 used for?

A
  • used for reptiles, small mammals & birds
  • AB, AF, AV effects
41
Q

Sedation for exotics

A
  • butorphanol/midazolam
42
Q

Small mammal specifics: tx

A
  • rabbits and rodents are obligate nasal breathers, open mouth breathing is always an emergency
  • supportive nutrition is particularly important for hindgut fermenters
  • regular nebulisation can increase time between flare ups
  • bronchodilator e.g. terbutaline works well in a nebuliser
  • mucolytic in food e.g. bromhexine
  • NSAIDs e.g. meloxicam can help with laboured breathing
  • rabbits are steroid sensitive so avoid using them if possible
43
Q

Commonly used antibiotics in small mammals

A
  • TMPS: 1st line & broad spec, licenced
  • Doxycycline; e.g. Mycoplasma in rats
  • Azithromycin (macrolide): also reduces lung inflammation
  • Enrofloxacin (fluoroquinolone): not without C&ST
  • Metrondizaole: for anaerobic infections e..g abscess (combination)
  • Penicillin: e.g. streptococcus, pasteurella (parenteral only in rabbits)
44
Q

Which antibiotics should NOT be used in hindgut fermenters?

A
  • penicillins
  • lincosamides
  • aminoglycosides (possibly)
  • cephalosporines
  • erythromycin
45
Q

Reptile specifics: tx

A
  • if malnourished can use injectable vitamins or liquid ‘dosed’ supplements (e.g. Zolcal-D) whilst hospitalised in the short term, long term dietary changes will be needed also
  • F10 is v useful in reptiles, because fungal causes or secondary infections are common, can be used as a mouth flush
  • it’s vital to keep reptiles at their POTZ for their immune system to be working optimally and for drug metabolism
  • heat vs ventilation
46
Q

Heat vs ventilation in reptiles

A
  • lack of ventilation will cause an increase in abnormal chemical structures in the environment
  • stagnant air in the tank won’t move and will increase humidity -> these predispose to bacterial proliferation and therefore infection
  • however, if you have a very high ventilation its hard to keep the heat at the right temperature
47
Q

POTZ

A
  • preferred optimal temperature zone
48
Q

Commonly used antibiotics in reptiles

A
  • gram negatives are common pathogens
  • TMPS: e.g. 1st line broad spec, licensed
  • doxycycline: e.g. mycoplasma in tortoises
  • metronidazole: for protozoal and anaerobic infections
  • ceftazidime: injectable q72h, practical
  • enrofloxacin: (fluoroquinolone) not without C&ST
49
Q

Bird specifics: tx

A
  • oxygen is very important: they have a high oxygen demand due to high metabolic demand
  • fluids and supportive nutrition, crop tubing is easy
  • nebulisation is very effective due to their airway anatomy (i.e. oral meds don’t reach the air sacs well but nebulisation does)
  • tx often multi-modal and given for a long duration, LRT can be hard to target
  • birds have no diaphragm and a packed coelomic cavity: no uncommon for LRT clinical signs to be coelomic dz instead
50
Q

Commonly used antibiotics in birds

A
  • TMPS: 1st line, broad spec, licenced
  • penicillin & co-amoxiclav: 1st line, broad spec
  • metronidazole: if anaerobic (not poultry)
  • doxycycline: e.g. Chlamydia psittaci
  • enrofloxacin (fluoroquinolone): not with C&ST
  • azithromycin (macrolide): e.g. Chlamydia psittaci
51
Q
A