DIGESTIVE Flashcards
What is regurgitation?
What is the cause?
Process where undigested food & fluid pass up the oesophagus shortly after eating.
Can be caused by megaoesophagus - a failure of peristalsis and/or a flaccid oesophagus.
What is vomiting?
What can the cause be?
Active process where abdominal muscles contract & squeeze the stomach.
Primary causes - gastric disease.
Secondary causes - systemic diseases e.g., renal.
What is aspiration pneumonia?
Occurs when food is inhaled during regurgitation/vomiting.
Causes infection of the lungs.
What is diarrhoea?
The passing of unformed faeces - increase bulk and fluid.
What are the causes of acute & chronic diarrhoea?
Acute diarrhoea - parasitic (e.g., worms, giardia) or dietary (e.g., food poisoning).
Chronic diarrhoea - maldigestion (pancreas fails to produce sufficient enzymes), malabsorption (damage has occurred to intestinal villi), neoplasia, dietary hypersensitivity.
What is colitis?
What are the causes?
Inflammation of the large intestine which causes tenesmus, bloody mucus faeces.
Caused by: endo parasites, auto-immune disease.
What is constipation?
What are the causes & treatment?
Is impaction of the colon & rectum with faeces. Animal is often seen straining to pass faeces with tenesmus.
Causes - common cause is narrowing of the pelvic canal due to injury (e.g fractured pelvis, obstruction of bowel - tumour).
Treatment - depends on underlying causes, surgery, manual emptying, enema, high fibre diet.
What are the signs of a foreign body in the mouth?
Sudden onset
Pawing
Salivation
Champing
What are the signs of a foreign body in the pharynx?
Sudden onset
Choking, retching, gagging
Salivation
Dyspnoea
What are the signs of a foreign body in the oesophagus?
Regurgitation after feeding
Aspiration pneumonia
What is Triaditis?
Inflammatory diseases of the liver, pancreas and small intestine which causes- seen in cats.
What is acute pancreatitis?
Occurs when the enzymes that are usually stored in the pancreas are released by some kind of trauma/inflammation in/around the pancreas.
What are the signs of acute pancreatitis?
Dogs - vomiting, diarrhoea, cranial abdominal pain, peritonitis.
Cats - anorexia, dehydration, depression.
What is feline triaditis?
Condition affecting cats where there is concurrent inflammation of the pancreas, liver, and small intestines.
Cause of this is unknown.
What are the three organs that feline triaditis is known to affect?
Pancreas
Liver
Small intestines
Name some signs of GDV?
Painful
Increased abdominal size
Attempted vomiting
Respiratory problems
Cardiovascular collapse
What are some known causes of GDV?
Rapid ingestion of a large meal.
Vigorous exercise on a full stomach.
Reduced expulsion of gas.
Increased production of gas from highly fermentable food.
What is the treatment for GDV?
IVFT - shock rates
Stomach tube
TROCAR - only if animal is collapsing & in lateral recumbency.
Surgery - Gastropexy.
Antibiotics.
What drugs are commonly used to treat alimentary tract disorders?
Antiemetics - promote GI motility & stimulate contractions of upper GI tract.
Antacids - reduce gastric acid secretion.
Gastric protectants - bind to damaged areas of the gut to form protective barrier.
Laxatives
What does hepatitis mean?
Generalised term to describe inflammation of the liver.
What is jaundice?
Due to accumulation of bilirubin in tissues - occurs if the capacity of the liver to excrete bilirubin in the bile is exceeded.
Yellowing of the mucous membrane/skin.
What are the 3 possible causes of jaundice?
Pre-hepatic - (a cause originating ‘before’ the liver) - excessive breakdown of RBCs.
Hepatic - primary disease - such as decreased bile flow from the gall bladder.
Post hepatic - (a cause originating ‘after’ the liver) - obstruction of bile duct.
What is cirrhosis?
End stage long term liver damage with little repair, resulting in fibrosis of liver tissue.
What are the signs of cirrhosis?
Progressive anorexia
Weight loss
Melaena
Ascites
Haematemesis
Ascites (regarding liver) is not uncommon, and can be due to what two causes?
Portal hypertension - due to abnormal liver structure, pressure within the portal circulation is increased & fluid leaks out of the vessels into the peritoneal space.
Hypoproteinaemia - if protein production is reduced in liver disease, the oncotic pressure is reduced & fluid leaks out from all vessels.
What are general signs of liver disease?
Anorexia
Weight loss
PU/PD
V+, D+
Cranial abdominal pain
Icterus
Signs of hepatic encephalopathy
Ataxia, depression, circling, head pressing (happens when too much ammonia), blindness, seizuring.
Seen a lot in puppies.
Signs more pronounced after eating a protein meal.
Portosystemic shunt
Causes - congenital abnormality, inherited in some breeds. Abnormal supply of blood from portal system bypassing liver altogether & entering circulation.
Signs - poor growth & appetite as a puppy, may develop encephalopathy & ascites.
Choloangiohepatitis
Ascending bacterial infection from intestine passing up the bile duct to biliary system, additionally immune mediated aetiology is suggested.
Signs - jaundice, anorexia, weight loss, fever.
Acute hepatitis
Causes - infectious agents, e.g., FIV, lepto, adenovirus, hepatitis in dogs. Parasitic disease or toxic agents, e.g., blue green algae poisoning.
Signs - anorexia, vomiting, abdominal pain, pyrexia, jaundice may develop.
Hepatic lipidosis
Occurs in all species - but cats more commonly affected. Occurs due to metabolic stress - either primary or secondary.
Primary - increased amount of lipid in hepatocytes. High mortality rate. Aggressive rapid treatment required.
Secondary - commonly result of: pancreatitis, DM, IBD.
Signs - severe anorexia, weight loss, jaundice, hepatic encephalopathy.
