Cattle Diseases & Defects

Question 1

Describe the distinguishing characteristics of a viable C Bovis cyst

Answer 1

Blister-like cyst, single scolex, clear fluid, 5-10mm, difficult to palpate but visible

Question 2

Describe the distinguishing characteristics of a non-viable C Bovis cyst

Answer 2

Hard, 10-15mm pea-shaped cyst, thick fibrous capsule, pale green pus, easy to palpate

Question 3

Describe the distinguishing characteristics of an acute TB lesion. Include in your answer the most likely sites where the disease is found

Answer 3

Runny, golden-yellow pus. Possible hyperaemia surrounding lesion. Most common in head and lung LN due to inhalation/ingestion. (Also wounds, congenital infections, copulation)

Question 4

Describe the distinguishing characteristics of a chronic TB lesion

Answer 4

Thicker pus, grainy or calcified, golden yellow pus, no hyperaemia, white fibrous capsule, grapes

Question 5

List the symptoms of TB in the live animal

Answer 5

Coughing if inhaled, diarrhoea if ingested. Dull and depressed, may be in poor condition, inflamed LN’s

Question 6

Describe the distinguishing characteristics of woody tongue. Include LN involvement in your description

Answer 6

Tongue thickened and hard with lesions scattered throughout its substance and surface. If localised, then lesions will be confined to head LN’s (and jaw). Mostly affects retropharyngeal LN’s

Question 7

Describe the distinguishing characteristics of a lumpy jaw lesion. Include LN involvement in your description

Answer 7

Affects jaw bone growth - if incised can contain thick green pus. Mostly affects submaxillary LN’s

Question 8

List the symptoms of actinoform lesions in the live animal

Answer 8

Mis-shaped jaw, swollen face, pain, tongue thickened, drooling, dull and depressed, in severe cases there may be evidence of pus

Question 9

Name the bacteria causing lumpy jaw (actinomycosis)

Answer 9

Actinomyces Bovis

Question 10

Name the bacteria that causes woody tongue (actinobacillosis)

Answer 10

Actinobacillus Lignieresi

Question 11

Describe the distinguishing characteristics of an eye cancer

Answer 11

Growths on surface of eye. May affect osseus structure. May affect parotid LN. May be secondary infection. White growth, non encapsulated

Question 12

List the symptoms of eye cancer in the live animal

Answer 12

Weeping. Tumour in cornea or eyelid. Partial blindness. Open wounds can become infected leading to gangrene in severe cases

Question 13

Describe the distinguishing characteristics of larval tracts in the liver. Include in your answer the range of lesions

Answer 13

Chronic: White/grey if fibrotic
Acute: Red/raised if haemorrhagic
If extensive, can be associated with cirrhosis. May be one or many. Liver fluke (star-shaped), and/or long snake-like tracts

Question 14

Describe the distinguishing characteristics of xanthosis

Answer 14

Brown/chocolate coloured muscle. Mainly only older stock. Mostly found in heart, skirt and cheeks

Question 15

Describe the distinguishing characteristics of telaniectasis

Answer 15

Pitting/indentations which may be purple in colour. Affects older stock or cows

Question 16

Describe the distinguishing characteristics of sarcoporidosis

Answer 16

Rice-shaped in the muscles. Up to 6mm in length. Difficult to view - not often seen. One or many. Mainly abdominal, flank or near scrotal area

Question 17

Describe the distinguishing characteristics of a hydatid cyst. Include in your answer the cause of the disease

Answer 17

Multichambered, multiple heads, clear fluid, embedded in soft tissue organs. Grows in and out. Common in liver, lungs, spleen, kidney, brain. The intermediate stage of a tapeworm found in dogs.

Question 18

Describe the distinguishing characteristics of a facial eczema intoxication. Include in your answer the cause of the disease

Answer 18

Poisoning due to ingestion of fungal spores. Ingestion of fungal spores releases powerful toxins that are absorbed into the blood and taken to the liver where it destroys liver cells (toxic poisoning). Often seen as cirrhosis, severe cases may lead to jaundice

Question 19

List the symptoms of facial eczema in the live animal

Answer 19

Scabs, sores due to severe sunburn, on eyelids, face, tongue, lips, submaxillary space, and the legs can become swollen

Question 20

Describe the distinguishing characteristics of a liver fluke infestation. Include in your answer the range of lesions

Answer 20

Up to 100% liver lesions in a line. Liver may have the presence of flounder or leaf shaped flukes and/or tracts, tracts are star-shaped where the larvae have entered, flukes may be large, grey/brown in colour, thickened bile ducts, may have cirrhosis, poor carcass, anaemia

Question 21

List the symptoms of a liver fluke infestation in the live animal

Answer 21

Emaciation and general depression. Associated swelling and diarrhoea. Skin and mucous membranes are paler, and the animal may be weaker. May see ‘Bottle jaw’ in cattle

Question 22

Describe the distinguishing characteristics of an ISL

Answer 22

Hard raised lumps with a thick fibrous capsule containing pus. Varies in size from pin head through to half the neck. Could be one or many. May affect prescapular LN. Any recent ISL (red and hyperaemic) should be retained and sampled (AgM74)

Question 23

Describe the distinguishing characteristics of endocarditis. Include in your description any other conditions that may be associated with the lesion

Answer 23

Inflamed and thickened endocardium. May be cauliflower-like growths in the chambers or on the valves. Associated CVC (heart failure) –>grossly enlarged, flabby heart. Associated liver cirrhosis and/or congested lungs

Question 24

Describe the main indicator of anthrax that the viscera inspector might expect to see

Answer 24

Enlarged spleen with black tar-like exudate

Question 25

List the symptoms of anthrax in the live animal

Answer 25

Stupified, dazed and confused state. Blood-stained from the mouth, blood-shot eyes, high fever, sweating, difficulty breathing

Question 26

Describe the congenital kidney retention cysts

Answer 26

A birth defect affecting the kidneys. Clear fluid filled cysts, usually small round sacs that have a thin wall and are filled with a watery fluid. They can range in size from a small pea to as large as a grapefruit

Question 27

Describe action for a suspected TB lesion in submaxillary LN

Answer 27

Incise and view other LN’s
Retain head with lesions
Place red indicator disc on carcass, or whatever system the company uses

Question 28

Describe pluck inspectors action for a suspect TB lesion in the right apical LN

Answer 28

Palpate lung tissues
Retain pluck
Inform other inspectors
Reinspect and incise all other LN’s

Question 29

Describe carcass inspector action for suspect TB lesion notified by the head inspector

Answer 29

Retain carcass using red TB indicator ticket

Instruct viscera inspector to retain all viscera

Question 30

Describe retain rail inspector action for a carcass with a suspect TB lesion

Answer 30

Incise all LN’s

Question 31

Describe carcass inspectors action for a carcass with a smear of green contamination, peritonitis with evidence of pus, and a significant bruise on the rump

Answer 31

Ticket FAE, OC, PYO, WB

Question 32

Describe carcass inspectors action for a carcass with chronic ISL lesion

Answer 32

Save lesion. Retain with ISL ticket

Question 33

Describe a viable C.bovis cyst, and carcass inspector’s action when notified of a cyst

Answer 33

Blister-like cyst with a clear fluid filled sac. 5-10mm diameter, white scolex, found in cheeks tongue, heart, diaphragm, oesophagus, skeletal muscles. Difficult to palpate
Retain using AgM74
Notify viscera inspector to retain viscera

Question 34

Describe distinguishing characteristics of a liver severely affected with liver fluke

Answer 34

Bloated, thickened bile ducts

Might be larval tracts or cirrhosis

Question 35

State the viscera inspector’s action for an abscess in the rumino-reticular junction

Answer 35

Incise and view mes LN’s

Place pink squares and condemned stamp on GIT

Question 36

Describe the distinguishing characteristics of benign neoplasia and state the viscera inspector’s action for such a growth in the liver

Answer 36

Encapsulated, grows out of affected part, no LN involvement, no evidence of spread, condemn liver, place blue paper square on liver, inform other viscera inspectors and carcass inspectors

Question 37

Describe distinguishing characteristics of actinobacillosis and state the head inspector’s action

Answer 37

Abscesses containing green/ yellow thick pus, heavy white fibrous capsule, mostly in LN’s and tongue, tongue hard enlarged with small nodules or abscesses, condemn head: if lesions are in LHs, also condemn tongue, place pink/black indicator disc or use company system on the carcass, save lesion for MPI VS if required by company

Question 38

Describe the distinguishing characteristics of actinomycosis

Answer 38

Abscesses contain green/yellow thick pus, heavy whit fibrous capsule, mostly in bone and sometimes in LN’s, abscesses in bone, jawbones greatly enlarged, condemn head: if lesions are in LN’s also condmen tongue, place pink/black indicator disc or use company system on carcass, save lesion for MPI VS if required by company

Question 39

Describe the distinguishing characteristics of cancer-eye and state the head inspector’s action

Answer 39

White growths on or around the eye, may be numerous, with evidence of spread. May be secondary bacterial infection. May be spread to parotid LN. Reinspect parotid and atlantal LNs. Place blue indicator disc, or use company system on carcass. Retain head and tongue for further inspection.

Question 40

Describe distinguishing characteristics of ISL and state caracss inspectors action

Answer 40

Necrotic tissue in site. May be abscesses in site. Incise surrounding tissues and check for further lesions. Retain carcass for sampling

Question 41

Describe distinguishing characteristics of vegetative endocarditis and state the viscera inspector’s action

Answer 41

White, yellow, gray growths on valves
Endocardium lining ventricle may be white and thickened. Condemn heart. Check liver for chronic venous congestion. Check left bronchial LN

Question 42

Describe distinguishing characteristics of telangiectasis and state the viscera inspectors action for a severe case

Answer 42

Blue-black areas of liver tissue throughout liver. May be numerous. Surface lesions ‘pit’ the liver surface. Designate sever cases to petfood

Question 43

Describe distinguishing characteristics of xanthosis and state both the viscera and carcass inspector’s action for a severe case

Answer 43

Chocolate-brown muscles, mostly affects cheeks, tongue, heart, diaphragm, forequarter muscles. Retain carcass using purple XAN ticket

Question 44

Describe the retain rail inspectors options for dealing with a chronic arthritic stifle joint without LN involvement

Answer 44

Supervise having the joint removed on retain rail. Retaining the quarter/side in the MPI security cage and supervising having the joint removed

Question 45

Describe retain rail inspects action for a suspected C Bovis cyst where the MPI VS have asked you to carry out relevant inspection on the head, viscera and carcass

Answer 45

Make a longitudinal midline through the suspensory muscle of tonue and carefull examine by viewing and palpating the tongue. Carefully examine by viewing and palpating the diaphragm, oesophagus and heart. Carefully examine by viewing and deep palpating the surface muscles of the head and carcass, especially the shoulders and shanks, and all cut muscle surfaces

Question 46

Retail rail inspector is confronted with a carcass with pale yellow-green tissues. Name a disease that may cause the condition, name the condition, and describe your inspection procedure to determine the state of the condition and action where there is doubt as to the suitability of the carcass for human food

Answer 46

Disease is facial exzema. Condition is icterus. Inspect blood vessels, ligaments, cartilage in natural light. Retain until morning if on night shfit, then inspect

Question 47

Describe your action for a blister-like cyst in a cattle heart

Answer 47

Save cyst in tact. Retain all viscera, including oesophagus using AgM74 retain tag. Inform carcass and head inspectors of reason for retaining (Cbovis)