Cardiovascular

Question 1

What are clinical signs of heart disease?

Answer 1

Edema, abnormal jugular vein, body cavity effusion, exercise intolerance, diarrhea, hepatomegaly, proteinuria, arrhythmias, murmurs, fever, death

Question 2

What are differentials for edema?

Answer 2

Hypoproteinemia, lymphatic/venous obstruction, udder edema

Question 3

What are differentials for abnormal jugular veins?

Answer 3

Thrombosis, phlebitis

Question 4

How is heart disease diagnosed?

Answer 4

Cardiac auscultation, radiographs, pericardiocentesis, ECG, echocardiogram, BP measurements

Question 5

What are normal heart rates for adult and neonate cattle and small ruminants?

Answer 5

Calves- 100-120bpm
Cattle- 60-80bpm
SR neonates- 120-140bpm
SR- 70-90bpm

Question 6

Do cattle have benign arrhythmias? Do goats or camelids?

Answer 6

Cattle- no
Goats and camelids- sometimes sinus arrhythmias

Question 7

Describe the appearance of a cow’s ECG

Answer 7

Positive P wave, upside-down QRS, T wave can be positive, negative, or biphasic

Question 8

What congenital heart defects occur in cattle and how do they present?

Answer 8

VSD, ectopia cordis, PDA
Young animal with history of lethargy, weakness, exercise intolerance, with holosystolic, holodiastolic, or continuous murmur

Question 9

What is the most common cardiac defect in cattle?

Answer 9

VSD

Question 10

What breeds of cattle are predisposed to VSDs?

Answer 10

Limousine, Hereford

Question 11

How does blood shunt in a VSD?

Answer 11

Left to right

Question 12

What are the clinical signs of a VSD?

Answer 12

Loud harsh murmur heard loudest over tricuspid area and a little softer over the pulmonic valve area, lethargy, poor growth, dyspnea, exercise intolerance, atrial fibrillation

Question 13

How are VSDs diagnosed and treated in cattle?

Answer 13

Echocardiogram
No practical treatment

Question 14

Describe ectopia cordis cervicalis

Answer 14

Heart found in abnormal location (cervical, pectoral, abdomen), associated with multiple heart defects

Question 15

PDA results in what direction shunting?

Answer 15

Left to right

Question 16

What are the clinical signs of a PDA?

Answer 16

Continuous high pitched murmur louder on left, lethargy, poor growth, dyspnea, exercise intolerance

Question 17

Can you treat a PDA in cattle?

Answer 17

No

Question 18

What are differentials for right sided heart failure in a ruminant?

Answer 18

Lymphosarcoma (right atrium)
High altitude disease
Endocarditis
Mediastinal mass

Question 19

What is brisket disease and where does it occur?

Answer 19

Occurs in high altitudes (>6000ft), pulmonary hypertension causing right sided heart failure (right ventricular hypertrophy), may have genetic component, occurs in calves and yearlings

Question 20

Describe the pathophysiology of brisket disease

Answer 20

Pulmonary arteriolar constriction occurs in response to hypoxia, increased pulmonary vascular resistance and pulmonary hypertension occurs, pressure overload of the right ventricle leads to hypertrophy, dilation, and heart failure

Question 21

What toxin can lead to high altitude/brisket disease?

Answer 21

Locoweed (swainsonine)

Question 22

What are the clinical signs of brisket disease?

Answer 22

Edema, lethargy, weakness, bulging eyes, diarrhea, collapse, death, jugular vein distension, abnormal jugular vein pulse, dyspnea and tachypnea

Question 23

How is brisket disease diagnosed?

Answer 23

History, location, PE findings, pulmonary hypertension (60-80mmHg)

Question 24

How is brisket disease treated/prevented?

Answer 24

Move to lower altitude, decrease stress, select breeding stock with PAP scores <35mmHg at elevations of 5000ft

Question 25

What is the heart valve most commonly affected by endocarditis?

Answer 25

Tricuspid

Question 26

What are possible causes of endocarditis?

Answer 26

Degenerative changes, trauma, myocardial disease, inflammation, bacterial infection (Trueperella pyogenes, Strep, Staph, E. coli, Klebsiella)

Question 27

What are the clinical signs of endocarditis?

Answer 27

Cardiac murmur, exercise intolerance, arrhythmias, weight loss, tachycardia, jugular vein distension, edema

Question 28

How is endocarditis diagnosed?

Answer 28

Echocardiogram, CBC with stress leukogram, blood culture

Question 29

What is the treatment for endocarditis?

Answer 29

Long term antimicrobials aimed and G+ species- penicillin; furosemide, prognosis guarded/poor if clinical signs present

Question 30

What are causes of pericarditis?

Answer 30

TRP, sepsis, extension of thoracic infection, neoplasia

Question 31

Describe the pathophysiology of pericardial disease

Answer 31

Bacterial proliferation in pericardial space -> inflammatory reaction -> neutrophil influx -> abscess -> inelastic pericardial sac and increased fluid pressure -> constrictive pericarditis

Question 32

What are the clinical signs of pericarditis?

Answer 32

Fever, anorexia, depression, weight loss, peripheral edema, jugular vein distention, tachycardia, muffled heart sounds, splashing heart sounds

Question 33

How is pericarditis diagnosed?

Answer 33

CBC and chemistry, radiographs, pericardiocentesis with >1.013 and protein >3.0g/dl, predominantly neutrophils and pH <7.3

Question 34

How is pericarditis treated?

Answer 34

Poor prognosis- rumen magnet, rumenotomy, prolonged antimicrobial therapy, pericardiectomy and rib resection with pericardial marsupilization

Question 35

What are causes of right to left sided heart failure?

Answer 35

White muscle disease Ionophore toxicity Gossypol toxicity Myocarditis Cardiomyopathy

Question 36

Describe white muscle disease

Answer 36

Occurs in selenium deficient areas, usually affects calves 2w-6m old, weakness, dyspnea, coughing, ascites and sudden death may appear, treat by supplementing surviving calves

Question 37

What is the mechanism of action of ionophores?

Answer 37

Alter sodium and potassium transport across cell membranes

Question 38

Describe the pathophysiology of ionophore toxicity

Answer 38

Sodium influx into cells, intracellular calcium concentrations rise, mitochondria swell, cell osmolarity changes

Question 39

What are the clinical signs of ionophore toxicity?

Answer 39

Anorexia, muscle tremors, diarrhea, sweating, weakness, arrhythmias, dyspnea

Question 40

How is ionophore toxicity diagnosed?

Answer 40

Decreased potassium and calcium, increased BUN, AST, and CK, GI contents can be analyzed Pale areas and areas of hemorrhage in myocardium, degeneration and necrosis of cardiac muscle with inflammation seen in necropsy

Question 41

How is ionophore toxicity treated?

Answer 41

Remove feed Possibly activated charcoal