Equine GIT Flashcards
Give some clinical signs of choke
Coughing Ptyalism (excessive salivation) Dysphagia (food and saliva evident at nostrils) Repeated flexion and extension of neck Sudden onset
What advice would you give to the owner of a horse with choke?
Most cases resolve spontaneously
Take all feed and water away
Monitor for 30 mins
If no improvement: vet involvement needed
If does resolve spontaneously: provide water but wait 1-2hr before feeding (give sloppy feeds)
Ask about dental history/evidence of quidding as dental problems need to be ruled out
On which side of the neck does the oesophagus lie in the horse?
Left
How should you treat a horse with choke if it has not spontaneously resolved?
Full history and clinical exam
Sedate with alpha 2 agonist eg romifidine and butorphanol +/- butylscopolamine
Keep horses head down to reduce aspiration
+/- oxytocin
Pass a nasogastric tube to confirm diagnosis
Perform lavage of the oesophagus
Repeat lavage until material is removed and stomach tube can be passed into stomach
How would you lavage the oesophagus when treating a horse with choke?
Warm (not hot) water
Stirrup pump
Single-ended stomach tube (ie not one with holes at bottom-less force pushing water through)
What aftercare should you provide for horses with choke after lavaging out the obstruction?
Decide if antimicrobials are needed (risk of inhalational pneumonia in protracted cases)
Provide water and gradually reintroduce feed over 24-48 hours (sloppy feed first)
Owner should monitor for nasal discharge/coughing/dullness
Rule out underlying cause (dental exam)
Endoscopic exam if 2 or more episodes of choke occur (rule out underlying cause eg stricture)
If feed is involved, it is sometimes appropriate to repeat lavage again in 4-8 hours
Why may oesophageal tears/perforations occur?
Following trauma (eg being kicked)
Secondary to oesophageal pathology (eg diverticulum)
Iatrogenic (eg stomach tubing)
What clinical signs would make you suspect an oesophageal tear or perforation?
Marked swelling and crepitus in the left cervical region]Deteriorating CV parameters
Give the consequences of carbohydrate overload
Intestinal bacterial fermentation and absorption of endotoxins -> colic and severe abdominal distension -> SIRS, laminitis, diarrhoea +/- death
What should you do initially in cases of carbohydrate overload?
Lavage gastric contents with warm water (within 1-2hrs of ingestion) until only water is retrieved \+/- administer activated charcoal (protects gut lining against endotoxins) (1-3g/kg as slurry) Administer flunixin 0.25g/kg IV q8h (anti-endotoxin effects) Perform cryotherapy (ice therapy) of feet (dampens the effect of SIRS and prevents laminitis)
How should you treat later stages of carbohydrate overload once signs of SIRS have developed?
Referral/intensive medical or surgical management
Poor prognosis if signs of colic/laminitis develop
What is the role of activated charcoal in cases of carbohydrate overload?
Protects gut lining against endotoxins
What is the role of flunixin in cases of carbohydrate overload?
Anti-endotoxin effects
What is dysphagia?
Difficulty swallowing but usually expanded to include difficulty eating
What are the 3 major causes of dysphagia in horses?
Pain (eg abscess, dental, mouth pain, foreign body)
Neurogenic (eg head trauma, guttural pouch disease, pharyngeal paralysis, lead poisoning)
Obstructive (eg neoplasia, oesophageal obstruction/stricture)
Describe the approach to diagnosis of dysphagia
Full history Watch the horse try to eat to determine which phase the problem appears to be in (oral/pharyngeal/oesophageal) Full clinical exam Neuro assessment (esp. cranial nerves) \+/- intra-oral exam \+/- imaging Haematology/biochemistry
Describe the treatment for dysphagia in horses
Depends on underlying cause Referral may be warranted in some cases NSAIDs Slurry feed/nasogastric intubation \+/- IV fluids General nursing care and careful observation
How would you treat a mandibular fracture?
Sedate and examine mouth
Determine the fracture configuration
Fractures of the incisive plate can be treated in the field: sedate, nerve blocks, intra-oral wiring
Give some possible causes of a rectal prolapse
Diarrhoea Colic Heavy parasite burden Proctitis/mass in the rectum Other causes of repeated straining eg dystocia, RFM
How would you treat the different grades of rectal prolapse?
Grades I, II and III: reduce the prolapsed tissue and address underlying cause
Grade IV: surgical management (poor prognosis)
Give some possible consequences of trauma to the abdomen?
Rupture of the abdominal viscus Body wall tears/rupture Diaphragmatic tears Abdominal haemorrhage Peritonitis
How would you assess trauma to the abdomen?
Full history
Full clinical exam
+/- abdominocentesis
Treatment based on degree of trauma/repair of wounds/suspicion of internal organ damage (may need to refer)
Give some potential causes of haemabdomen
Secondary to abdominal trauma
-Splenic rupture/tear
-Uterine tear in pregnant mare
Following parturition (rupture of middle uterine artery)
How would you treat an incisional hernia?
Prolonged box rest
Commercial hernia belt (belly band)
Surgical repair may be required (4-6 months after initial surgery) (prosthetic mesh placement)
When do incisional hernias occur?
Following colic surgery
Give some possible complications of thoracic wall injuries
Pneumothorax
Respiratory distress
Intra-thoracic haemorrhage
Pleuropneumonia
Acute diarrhoea comes from which part of the intestines?
Colon
Watery diarrhoea most likely stems from which part of the intestines and why?
Large intestines, as this is where water is usually absorbed, hence an alteration in colonic pathology -> less water absorption (water passes straight through SI)
How much water is secreted into the proximal GIT in the normal horse (including food/water drunk)?
How much is absorbed by the LI?
125L/day
90L of this is absorbed by the LI
Give some differential diagnoses for chronic diarrhoea in the adult horse?
Dietary causes Parasitism (strongyles; cyathostomins usually cause acute diarrhoea) Dental disease Sand ingestion Non GI causes (eg kidney, liver, heart) NSAID toxicity (right dorsal colitis) Infiltrative disorders (chronic IBD) Neoplasia (eg lymphosarcoma)
Give some infectious causes of chronic diarrhoea
Salmonella Lawsonia intracellularis (proliferative enteritis in younger foals) Parasites (eg strongyles) Abdominal abscess Rhodococcus equi
Give some non-infectious, inflammatory causes of chronic diarrhoea
Sand ingestion
Granulomatous enteritis
Lymphosarcoma
Give some non-infectious, non-inflammatory causes of chronic diarrhoea
Abnormal fermentation and/or motility
How thick should the wall of the large bowel be?
3-4mm
Stress predisposes to what affecting the bowel?
Colitis
Give some presenting clinical signs of chronic diarrhoea
No/mild dehydration Eating well (not SIRS) \+/- weight loss \+/- polydipsia \+/- oedema
How many faecal samples should you take when doing a culture for salmonella?
5
What should you check when investigating chronic diarrhoea?
Salmonella culture
Check for parasites and sand (sedimentation test in glove)
Check haematology and biochem for inflammation
Check plasma protein conc (hypoproteinuria?)
Peritoneal fluid (check protein, WBC)
Ultrasound
Rectal biopsy
Absorption tests
What should you give to de-worm a horse with chronic diarrhoea?
Lavicidal
Fenbendazole 10mg/kg daily for 5 days or ivermectin
Followed in one week by moxidectin
Give some possible treatments for chronic diarrhoea
Treat underlying disease
De-worm
Yeast/probiotic (can improve fermentation problems)
Access to normal manure
Give some causes of acute colitis in horses >9 months old
Idiopathic most common Salmonella Clostridia Drug-induced (NSAIDs, antibiotics) Larval cyathostomins
Give some predisposing factors to acute colitis in horses >9 months old
Antibiotic treatment (alters GI flora) Any stress (eg transport, competition, hospitalisation, surgery)
When should you isolate a horse with acute colitis?
If it has 2 out of the following 3 symptoms:
Pyrexia
Diarrhoea
Low WBCC
Give some clinical signs of acute colitis
Depression Fever Colic Diarrhoea Tachypnoea Tachycardia (80-100bpm) Congested to purple mm Slow CRT >2s (ie signs of shock) Anorexia Dehydration Reduced GI sounds
Describe the pathophysiology of acute colitis
Fluid loss (excess secretion due to inflammation and enterotoxins, loss of Na, Cl, K and Bicarb -> fluid follows) Mucosal inflammation, ischaemia and reperfusion injury Breakdown of GI mucosal barrier (absorption of endo/exotoxins)
Why would a horse have raised liver enzymes if it has acute colitis?
Endotoxins from colitis go to the liver first -> increased liver enzyme production
Describe the pathophysiology of SIRS
Breakdown of the intestinal barrier -> large amounts of bacteria and toxins enter portal circulation -> hepatic clearance mechanisms are overwhelmed
Initiates a cascade of inflammatory mediators (macrophages)
Results in clinical syndrome
What 4 clinical alterations does SIRS cause?
Haemodynamic alterations (shock, reduced CO) Coagulopathy Metabolic derangements (hypermetabolism, tissue hypoxia, lactic acidaemia) Remote organ dysfunction (GI, integument - laminitis, kidneys)
Why does laminitis occur as a result of SIRS?
SIRS causes remote organ dysfunction, which affects the integument including hoof lamellae
Inflammation/endothelial damage and damage to extracellular matrix -> laminitis
Which salmonella serotype is most commonly isolated from cases of diarrhoea in horses?
S. typhimurium
Give some sources of infection of salmonellosis leading to diarrhoea
Asymptomatic shedders/diseased horses
Environmental factors/stressors can increase shedding eg high temp, hospitalisation, transport, antibiotics, GI surgery, immunosuppression
How does salmonella affect blood sodium levels?
Causes hypersecretion -> low blood sodium
Which toxins does salmonellosis produce?
Endotoxins (haemodynamic and haemostatic effects)
Cytotoxins (cause morphological damage and increase penetration of mucosa)
Enterotoxins (increase sodium and water secretion)
Describe the clinical syndrome of salmonellosis
Septicaemia
Marked neutropenia, hyponatraemia (low sodium due to hypersecretion), leukopenia, dehydration
How do you diagnose salmonellosis as a cause of diarrhoea?
Faecal cultures (at least 5 samples)
5-10g
Transport to lab in selenite broth
Give some antibiotics that can cause antibiotic-induced diarrhoea?
Penicillin
Ceftiofur
Trimethoprim sulpha
Oxytetracycline
Give some clinical signs of antibiotic-induced diarrhoea
Mild transient diarrhoea with no systemic effects
Severe, sudden enterocolitis
May be haemorrhagic
Which bacteria may overgrow as a result of antibiotic-induced diarrhoea?
Clostridium difficile