Clinical pathology of the Pancreas and GI tract Flashcards
What is the laboratory testing for the endocrine functions of the pancreas also an assesment for?
An assesment for diabetes mellitus
What are some potential risk factors for pancreatitis in dogs?
- High fat diet
- Dietary indescretion
- Drugs
- Endocrinopathies
- Breed predisposition
What is the clinical presentation of acute pancreatitis?
- Vomiting
- abdominal pain
- Weakness
- staying in the ‘prayer position’
What are some laboratory findings that may indicate Pancreatitis?
- Increased Packed Cell Volume (thrombocytopenia, maybe DIC)
- Increased proteins (dehydration or may decrease if its a negative APP response)
- Azotaemia (too much nitrogen)
- Increase in liver enzymes
What three assays are commonly used to test for pancreatitis?
- Spec CPL- immunologic assay
- DGGR Lipase- catalytic assay
- v-LIP- P Triolein based assay
Name two pancreatic disorders that aren’t diabetes mellitus
- Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency
- Pancreatitis
When do we have pathological problems in the pancreas?
When zymogens are not released at the brush border and are instead released into the interstitial space, mixing with lysosomes
What occurs with calcium signalling when pancreatitis is present?
Persistent calcium signalling
What two diseases can cause an exocrine pancreatic insufficiency?
- pancreatic acinar atrophy
- chronic pancreatitis
How much of the pancreas can be lost before exocrine pancreatic insufficiency occurs?
over 90%, pancreas has large functional reserves
What is the treatment for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency?
Dietary supplementation with pancreatic enzymes added to food
What are the two ways you can diagnose exocrine pancreatic insufficency?
- Using trypsin-like immunoreactivity
*increases with pancreatitis (not commonly used anymore)
decreases with EPI
What are two clinical signs of EPI?
- loose stools
- weight loss
What is cobalamin?
Cobalamin is a required cofactor in the metabolic pathways involving folate
If there is an absence of it methylmalonic acid accumulates which can cause significat issues for the patient
What does a decrease in illeal absorption lead to?
decreased serum cobalamin
Name two things that can cause decreased illeal absorption
- Bacterial growth
- decrease in illeal mucosa
What is the preferred folate sample and what can an increase in folate indicate
- Serum- haemolysed samples are unsuitable
- may mean there is bacterial overgrowth in the intestine
- or a cobalamin deficiency
What does a decrease in folate indicate?
- a small intestinal mucousal disease
- or a dietary deficiency
What is a xylose absorption test?
- This evaluates the function of the small intestine
- decreased absorption means small intestine mucousal disease
What is a glucose absorption test?
Same but glucose is less expensive and more readily available
When is a glucose absorption test most commonly used?
to evaluate patients presenting with chronic weight loss
What does a decreased value during the glucose absorption test mean?
- malabsorption (so small intestine mucousal disease)
incomplete delivery of glucose to the intestine
increased utilisation of glucose via the hepatocytes
What does an unexpectedly high peak glucose mean?
Diabetes mellitus
How can you test rumen fluid?
must ensure it is only 10 ml
- Gross evaluation
» * pH
» * Microscopic examination
» * Methylene blue test
What are the physical characteristics of rumen fluid in a healthy animal?
- brown/ green in colour
- aromatic smell
- forms sediment in under 8 minutes
What does a rumen fluid pH of under 5.5 mean?
» * Acute, severe carbohydrate overload
» * pH is very low if abomasal fluid is collected instead of ruminal fluid, as may occur in left-sided abomasal
displacement*
What does a rumenal fluid pH of above 7 mean?
- decreased fermentation
» * protein overload
» * urea toxicosis
» * ruminal alkalosis
» * dilution with saliva
What should healthy rumen fluid contain?
numerous actively-motile small, medium and large protozoa
If the rumen fluid is acidotic or atonic it will have few or no active protozoa
How does the methylene blue test work?
In healthy rumen fluid- the protozoa will decolouise the methylene blue
