Clinical Symptoms

Question 1

signalment

Answer 1

description by peculiar, appropriate, or characteristic marks;
systematic description of an animal for purposes of identification

• Age
• Sex- intact/neutered
• Species
• Breed
• Identification Tag/Tattoo number

Question 2

history

Answer 2

Collecting of the pertinent details
associated with the animal’s
condition from the owner/agent.
• Complaint
• Duration
• Onset-gradual or sudden
• Clinical (what the owner
noticed) characteristics or signs to date

Question 3

visual examination

Answer 3

• Systematic approach
• Record findings
• Observe animal from a distance
• Posture
• Gait
• Behavior
• Physical condition
• Observe other members of the herd as comparison

Question 4

physical exam

Answer 4

• Adequate restraint
• Chute
• Head catch
• Stocks
• Systematic approach
• Palpation
• Auscultation
• Percussion
• Sample collection
• Body temperature: Normal/subnormal/elevated
• Respiration: fast/slow, deep/shallow, labored with/without
grunting, dyspnea(difficult breathing) on inspiration or expiration.
• Pulse: slow/fast (bradycardia/tachycardia), weak or bounding
pulses.
• Inflammation: pain, heat, redness and swelling
• Anorexia: partial or complete
• Depression

Question 5

physical exam

Answer 5

• Mucous Membranes: Pink – normal, White – shock, anemia;
blue – inadequate oxygenation; Red – inflammation; Yellow –
icteric condition(liver, blood disorders, toxicity); Dry/sunken -
dehydration; CRT = capillary refill time; normal = 2 sec, delayed
CRT = circulatory compromise.
• Skin: disruption/discoloration to skin surface.
• Conformation: lameness, nerve, muscle and bone disease
• Abdomen: distention, palpation, rumen contraction

Question 6

body discharges

Answer 6

• Body discharges:
• Eyes – lacrimation, amount and consistency
• Mouth – salivary secretions, thin or ropey
• Exhaled breath – acetone odor = ketosis, ammonia = urea, foul = infection.
• Nostrils – dry or mucous discharge, odor
• Fecal – scanty/profuse, hard, soft, no odor, foul odor, watery, blood tinged,
frank blood, mucoid, dark or light colored.
• Vaginal – clear, purulent, blood tinged, odor
• Urine – amount, color/consistency
• Mammary – bloody, clots, stringy milk

Question 7

central nervous system symptoms

Answer 7

• Abnormal behavior – aggressiveness to
dummy
• Head tilt, circling, opistotonus, strabismus,
blindness
• Paralysis of organ functions, limbs, muscles
• Incoordination
• Hyperesthesia – sensitive to touch, sound,
light, movement

Question 8

auscultation- cardiac

Answer 8

• Valves
• Murmurs (shhhh dub)
• Jugular pulse

Question 9

ausculation- lung

Answer 9

• Increase/decrease sounds
• Absence of sounds
• Crackles/rails
• Wheezes

Question 10

percussion

Answer 10

• Sounds detecting by tapping on the body wall
• Resonant sounds heard over air filled lung or viscous
• Dull sounds heard over fluid or consolidated lung tissue
• Pinging sounds associated with air-gas interface in
distended viscous, example: LDA
• Normal sounds
• Dullness over cardiac silhouette
• Dullness over rumen
• Resonance in dorsal chest

Question 11

medical record

Answer 11

• Problem Oriented Medical Record( POMR)
• Subjected data
• History
• Objective data
• TPR
• Lab data
• Assessment (of above items/case)
• Differential diagnoses
• Plan
• Further diagnostic
• Treatment

Question 12

herd diagnostics

Answer 12

• Same principles as individual animals
• Herd data collection
• Herd records
• Herd history
• Examine individual animals
• Problem list
• Differential diagnoses
• Further testing
• Modify rule-outs as data is collected
• Post-mortem dead animals
• Diagnosis