Colon

Question 1

What are the top 2 clinical signs of colonic disease?

Answer 1

diarrhea,
constipation

Question 2

What is “pseudo-Addison’s Disease”?

Answer 2

a whipworm infection with Trichuris vulpis
where hyperkalemia and hyponatremia may be seen,
but ACTH stim results are normal

Question 3

How do we treat whipworm infections?

Answer 3

fenbendazole
(or Drontal plus)

​once a month for 3 months!

Question 4

What’s the more common name for Heterobilharzia americana? Where is it found?

Answer 4

Schistosomiasis;
Gulf Coast (Tx, Lo)

Question 5

What does schistosomiasis cause?

Answer 5

acute or chronic large intestinal diarrhea

Question 6

What is this parasite and what does it inflict (MDx) upon migration into the bowel wall? How do we treat?

Answer 6

Heterobilharzia americana
Causes granulomatous inflammation
PZQ

Question 7

A cat that recently came from a shelter is showing signs of waxing and waning LI diarrhea, straining often. What parasite are you thinking and how would you treat it?

Answer 7

• Tritrichomonas foetus*
• *Ronidazole** 30mg/kg PO SID for 2 weeks!

Question 8

How would a primary colonic infection with Prototheca present?

Answer 8

intermittent/prolonged bloody diarrhea
(Blue-green algal bloom)

Cats get more cutaneous forms, while dogs show CNS, ocular and large bowel signs

Question 9

How would we treat Prototheca?

Answer 9

amphotericin B + Itraconozole

Question 10

What does the type A toxin associated with C.perfringens cause?

Answer 10

hemorrhagic enterocolitis
esp.in kennels and boarding env’ts
/stressful situations

Question 11

What E.coli has affinity for the LI?

Answer 11

EHEC;
hemorrhagic diarrhea

Question 12

What drugs can we use to treat acute colitis, in reducing the tenesmus that the patient and owner find most distressing?

Answer 12

Diphenoxylate,
loperamide

Question 13

You run a TLI/PLI/Serum Cobalamin and folate panel on a chronic colitis patient. Cobalamin is low. What’s the real problem?

Answer 13

Distal SI disease

persistent SI diarrhea could be the cause of the colonic inflammation

Question 14

How do we characterize chronic idiopathic large bowel diarrhea in dogs?

Answer 14

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS, not IBD!)

*may respond to highly digestible diet supplemented with soluble fiber*

Question 15

How often should (CDC recommendation) fecals be performed?

Answer 15

At least annually

Question 16

What are the 3 proposed mechanisms for reduced availability of cobalamin in the ileum?

Answer 16

1. Reduced intrinsic factor availability
2. Bacterial competition
3. Mucosal dz