Case Conversations Flashcards
A, B, C all right
WHICH of the following clinical signs are prevalent and/or important?
A. Dullness
B. Inappetance
C. Coughing
D. Dyspnoea
E. Snezing
F. Hyperexcitability
G. Mortality
Coughing, sneezing, mortality
C- clinical exam
B and D
Unlikely to be bacteraemic– down the trachea
Factors that contribute to the development of respiratory disease in a group of animals in a feedlot
Definitely small intestinal because the U/S picture is not normal
** Not likely AE because there was no reflux– AE causes functional obstruction of the proximal SI so reflux is often present a short time after onset. The horse was not febrile though this doesn’t always occur with AE and he had said NSAIDs which could decrease temp slightly and give a false reading: despite 38C is well within normal range
* The level of pain may also be more than expected with AE though this is unreliable. I would expect some motility in the U/S picture with AE but stasis with a physical obstruction. AE is less common than a physical obstruction though a racehorse is fed a large amount of concentrates which is a risk factor for AE
A. NGT/ rectal: 2-3 hours
* Reflux may or may not be present at this time: it depends on the site of obstruction. Passing a NGT is an important part of any colic work up or reassessment but absence of reflux does not rule out SI obstruction in the early stages of colic
Repeating the rectal exam is an important part of re-evaluation of a colic and SI distension may not be palpable: if present it is most often in the midline as stacked fluid filled tubes travelling transversely across the abdomen but the mesentery is long so dilated loops can be anywhere. Tension on the medial band of the caecum or pain when it is palpated occurs if the caecum is being pulled out of place due a lesion involving the ileum though this is not a particularly sensitive or specific finding.
Which is most appropriate COA?
A. Fecal culture
B. rumen pH
C. Abdominocentesis
D. Exploratory laparotomy
E. Wither pinch test
B. Rumen pH
Lactic acidosis
What if it was 5.5? We would need to go back to clinical exam
When would abdominocentesis be helpful? If it is chronic
Exploratory lap?
Wither pinch test? Peritonitis
JD- culture takes weeks because slow growing.. culture used as the definitive test
Salmonellosis- yes; fetid diarrhoea, pyrexic– 95% confident in diagnosis. Sensitivity of culture… revolting salmonella faeces… does not survive transport to the lab very well. 80% with Salmonella would come back with Salmonella. (cost of C&S- $10)
E. coli scours- no
Mycotic rumenitis
Grain overload- no
A
Give oxytet for 5 days IF the cow is showing systemic signs– this cow had a temp of 39, not normal in Warnabol in winter
* In general the enterobacteria that get into the blood are not sensitive to Penicillin
* Baytril- by law do not use in food producing animals in Australia– can’t use it against the label
* Tolfenamic acid- NSAID- 2 day duration of action in cattle, cheaper than Meloxicam
* Low pH and want to correct that.. so either Sodium bicarb or Mg carbonate or both.
* 2 liters of hypertonic fluids followed by 20 L of water orally– appropriate fluid therapy– but this cow doesn’t need it, she is standing up
4 stages of acidosis
Cow is down- antibiotics and fluids
low rumen pH need to buffer
Compromise of gut wall if systemica effects
A. 5 liters of Hartmann’s IV quickly
B. 15 L of Hartmanns quickly IV
C. 2 L of hypertonic fluids IV and 20 L of electrolyte solution
D. 2 liters of hypertonic fluids and 20 L of water orally
E. 2 liters of hypertonic fluids and 20 L of water with 200g NaHCO3
blood volume of a cow? 40 L in 500 kg cow (8%)
Is she down because she is dehydrated?
She is down because she is acidotic and she is in shock, therefore circulatory collapse therefore not enough volume of fluid to fill capillaries….
Hartmann’s doesn’t treat acidosis well in cattle
* Animals that are dehydrated– extracellular space is dehydrated–idea of hypertonic solution is to draw fluid from the EC space to the IV space… where there is no fluid in the EC it can make them worse… however in cases of shock, hypertonic fluids are very useful… so hypertonic would be OK.
* So D or E??
- Use sodium bicarb because we want to fix the acidosis too.
A. 5 liters of Hartmann’s IV quickly
B. 15 L of Hartmanns quickly IV
C. 2 L of hypertonic fluids IV and 20 L of electrolyte solution
D. 2 liters of hypertonic fluids and 20 L of water orally
E. 2 liters of hypertonic fluids and 20 L of water with 200g NaHCO3
5 liters of Hartmann’s combined with flunixin.
5 liters to 40 L enough of a circulatory boost to get them going again. Don’t give too much end up with haemolysis.
** 2 L of hypertonic with electrolytes… reason for electrolytes… when you give hypertonic fluids IV and then oral fluids into the rumen… want to make easy path of fluid for fluids to get into the blood stream… putting electrolytes in will potentially slow that down
* use electrolytes in a dehydrated cow but not hypertonic solution for a dehydrated cow.
Diarrhoea last week, eating OK, not depressed, no straining or blood, normal temp, green poo, no grain, watery, sub mandibular oedema
A. Salmonella
B. Liver Fluke
C. JD
D. Simple indigestion
E. E. coli scours
F. BVD
Diet? Can always be change in diet of an individual cow because the cow before her didn’t eat and she got a double ration
* milk? dropping off
* JD?
* Parasitic tx? No.
Salmonella– unlikely– faeces would stink, depressed, first clinical sign is the cow goes off her feed, in herds with outbreaks– 20-40 cases… cows come into bail, if above 39C and not eating- treat
Liver fluke– could be, a bit old
JD- likely diagnosis, 7 is classic age, no other signs, sub mandibular oedema… Johne’s ELISA… Finding fluke eggs would not rule out Johne’s.
NOT Simple indigestion, E. coli scours, BVD– if you suspected could do ELISA on milk vat to check for antibodies but unlikely in this cow
A, B, C (within 1 week of suspicion so wait for the test)… can send the cow to knackery that has a positive ELISA but clinically normal
JD cause problems in humans?? Current thinking– people in both camps.
Incidence in WA CD, incidence in farmers is no different to the normal population
b. 12 DSE/ha
based on classes of animals have on the land
How can you tell farm is appropriately stocked? Based on French equation– below
** a bit on the lower side with stocking rate
What is a high total worm count in a lactating Merino ewe?
10-20,000 or more is a high total worm count
Age related immunity… ewes may not be the best indicator.. wethers also would have developed immunity. Not lambs with low WEC– wouldn’t get enough sensitivity, so not very representative. Lambs with high WEC >1000epg– selective tx. If drenches do work… would see a change.
E. random lambs- if their avg. WEC > 200 epg
August and taking into account all we have learned
E. Mainly Teladorsagia and Trichostrongylus
** often occur in mixed infections
Haemonchus isn’t such a problem in August– mainly at warmer times of year (in this region that is!)
Outbreaks in warmer regions depending on how much rainfall
Adjusting to delete Haemonchus (since that isn’t our biggest problem not) to show effects of scour worms
Now it has taken out a drench group!! Before we would have considered it useful but not anymore
Smart grazing- wethers or less susceptible group of stock at a high stocking rate
Grass is drying off, sheep go in 2.5 x normal stocking rate, stay in there for a month (December)– short grass, lots of eggs will die… then in February 2nd drench–wethers at 2.5 x normal stocking rate, stay in there a month… then in March-May (autumn break)–we want eggs to die… weaners in their first winter contributes to weaner ill thrift….
drenches need to be strategic
Control release capsules–expensive and can eructate but rare…. high enough dose to kill larvae.. but at some point drops below effective dose. How do we manage that?? Product says it lasts for 90 days… so before 90 days is up… 8 weeks in do WEC and see if it is increasing, if so give a drench of a different class… increase level of protection and decrease developing resistance.
DSE changes massively depending on whether you have small or large sheep
20 DSE/ha
wether- 1.1 because they are quite big
1st september- lambing
2nd december- weaning
How old is oldest lamb at weaning?
B. 13 weeks
SHould be marked before weaning– at about 8 weeks from the start of lambing
A. pretty much spot on
WHAT SHOULD YOU NEVER GIVE TO A GOAT?
GOATS ARE NOT LITTLE SHEEP
Incomplete ossification– risk of crushing and damaging
Foals sometimes do have some incomplete ossification but this is an abnormal amount and it is impossible to keep from loading
next slide presenting problems
What do you do now?
Bacterial, viral or protozoa
Necropsy could help you decide… culture.. viral cause may not be able to tell– hard to get a fresh enough carcase
What do you do now?
Cleaning and rotating calves– hygiene
Sick ones out
Resus and fluid management– addressing dehydration and electrolyte imbalances
Calves with diarrhoea
Moderate skin tenting– 10% dehydration… 30-35 kg– needs 3 L of fluid
D.
Campy is hard to culture
you’d need to tell them you suspect specifically
Any more ideas?
Colostrum management
Rotavirus vaccine precalving
C
Nursing well
not crying persistently
being mothered well
sleeping together (no one on their own)
Birth weight
Primary cause– options other side
First litter– B
B- warm the puppies, then they might suckle themselves
Assess is she producing milk?
D. first week (lower second week)
Physical exam and post mortem
Weigh the pups
Faecal smear/ faecal float
Colostral transfer– bloods– ALP– 30 x increase when they have colostrum from the bitch
TP/ TS- first week or two they are lower than in an adult, in weeks to come gets into adult range
Check glucose
Good history
Poor husbandry
What reflexes do you check on the exam?
A or E (rule out the others)
** RR in neonates starts to become more normal after
E
Suspect aspiration pneumnia– dehydrated, hypothermic
why not Enrofloxacin? Impacts how cartilage develops and other effects as well
Amoxicilin first choice
Gippsland in late January
Outbreak of diarrhoea in a mob of 5 month old Merino weaners
Diarrhoea responds partially to Cydectin drench but has recurred and the mob now has a scouring ill thrifty tail of 40% of animals
Several weaners have died in the last week, prompting the farmer to bring 3 sick weaners in to the clinic for you to examine
Biochem, body weight, faecal exam, hydration, generally good physical exam, trace mineral status maybe not at first but if the farmer wants
** Low WEC now suggests drenching was effective
* Oxytet effective for most bacterial infections
** also consider managing and preventing e.g. lower stocking rates, improve nutrition
Most likely ddx bacterial enteritis– worms– Trichostronglyus rugatus, T. vitrinus, T. axei, Teladorsagia
Abamectin– Effective, the rest have too much resistance
Bench marks for poor performance: mortality rate (2.7%) over 3 months (2% annually; 4% annually for weaners), body weight
* OJD in 3–>4 yo ewes– expected– not necessarily related to the deaths
* perinatal mortality is the problem- unk cause– skinny ewes are going to be the ones that die anyway, so doesn’t necessarily help
* this infection has been on the property 5-10 years: long incubation period
* source: could be cattle but not as likely, neighbors (drainage: water flowing from the neighbor), possibly rams but less likely
What questions do you want to ask?
History of dental care, vaccination history and deworming
*teeth floated every 6 months, up to date on vaccines, dewormed with ivermectin and pyrantel every 6 weeks
* Demeanor, other signs of systemic disease? BAR but generally poor appetite
In the past FECs normal– and CBC and biochem normal in the past– given Trimethoprim sulpha
What are the presenting problems? DDX?
* diarrhoea
* Sudden death
* Illthrift
* Scours
* Large tail on mob
DDX: worms, nutritional scours, bacterial, protozoal, acidosis
- Barbers pole worm
- Black scour worm
- Campy
- Cu deficiency… etc.
