Equine bovine physical exams

Question 1

normal horse TPR

Answer 1

T – 99.5 ± 1°F
P - 36 ± 10 beats per minute
R - 12 ± 4 breaths per minute

Question 2

what lymph nodes do you palpate in a horse?

Answer 2

submandibular and retropharyngeal

Question 3

how many heart sounds do you hear in a horse?

Answer 3

can hear 2, 3 and/or 4

Question 4

where to hear horses heart

Answer 4

L side right under tricep
listen to R too but more quiet

Question 5

where to listen to equine breath sounds

Answer 5

trachea, larynx, whole lung field
hard to hear abnormal lungs

Question 6

listening to equine gut sounds

Answer 6

listen in 4 areas of the abdomen (paralumbar fossa, upper flank, lower flank, paramedian)

Question 7

distance exam bovine

Answer 7

Attitude – position of head
Body shape (abdomen, back) and position of animal and limbs/tail
Respiratory rate and effort
Evidence of secretions – urine, feces, discharges, bleeding
Evidence of eating/chewing cud and drinking
Ambulation – coordinated? Lameness?

ENVIRONMENT – look around

Question 8

Normal HR and sounds cow

Answer 8

60-84BPM
S1, S2 (sometimes S3, S4)

Question 9

locations of cow cardiac auscultation

Answer 9

shove arm far under tricep

Pulmonic valve: half-way between the left elbow and shoulder joints in the third ICS
Aortic valve: just below a horizontal line through the left shoulder joint in the fourth ICS
Mitral valve: just below a horizontal line through the left shoulder joint in the fifth ICS
Tricuspid valve: half-way between the right elbow and shoulder joints in the third ICS

Question 10

pulses in cow

Answer 10

hard to feel
coccygeal and maxillary

Question 11

cow resp rate

Answer 11

10-40 breaths per min

Question 12

locations for respiratory auscultation cow

Answer 12

larynx (insp and exp)
trachea (insp and exp)
lungs, both sides (insp)

Question 13

cow lung auscultation technique

Answer 13

Can’t just “lay” stethoscope on – need to put a little pressure (particularly if over conditioned)
Best in the intercostal spaces
At most ventral site – may hear heart sounds
Listen to 4 places on each side

Question 14

cow abdomen auscultation locations

Answer 14

Left – rumen, displaced abomasum
Right – cecum, intestines, abomasum (displaced or volvulus)

Question 15

auscultation of primary rumen contractions

Answer 15

Quantity
* 1 cycle/minute, can increase with eating
* Listen for 2 minutes and count # of contractions
Location for auscultation
* Ventral paralumbar fossa
Quality
* Strength – how loud?
* dependent on contents of rumen
Listen in the “low register”
Length – how progressive
Reticulum → dorsal sac → ventral sac → caudoventral sac →caudodorsal sac

Question 16

external lymph nodes in cow

Answer 16

Sub-mandibular
Pre-scapular
Pre-femoral
Supra-mammary
if you can see them it is bad

Question 17

where to hear rumen gas cap and left displaced abumasum ping

Answer 17

left side

Question 18

where to hear right displaced abumasum, cecal ping

Answer 18

right side

Question 19

cow dehydration status

Answer 19

Mild dehydration (6-8%)
* slight eyeball recession, skin tent slightly prolonged (2-4 seconds), mucous membranes moist
Moderate dehydration (8-10%)
* eyes obviously sunken, skin tent obviously prolonged (4-8 seconds), mucous membranes tacky
Severe dehydration (10-12%)
* eyes severely sunken into orbits, skin remains tented indefinitely, mucous membranes dry

Question 20

normal temperature cow

Answer 20

100-102.5F

Question 21

rectal palpation of rumen

Answer 21

Deep palpation (to shoulder)
Left – ventral and dorsal quadrants
Using all fingers together determine “dentability”

Question 22

rectal palpation of L kidney

Answer 22

Deep palpation
Midline, but not firmly attached to body wall – 4-6” down
Can only feel caudal pole

Question 23

intestines rectal palpation cow

Answer 23

lower right quadrant, feel like nothing, mushy