Gastrointestinal Flashcards
What are the key clinical signs of the chocking horse?
Ptyalism/drooling and hypersalivation
What medical management can assist the chocking horse?
Remove all feed and water
IVFT
NSAIDS/analgesics
Sedation
Oxytocin
What surgical approach can be used for the chocking horse?
Longitudinal esophagectomy with primary closure
What does EOTRH stand for?
Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis
What is a diastema?
Gaps develop between teeth
What are the two types of caries?
Peripheral or infundibular
What are acute causes of diarrhoea in the adult horse?
Salmonella spp.
Clostridium difficile/perfrigens
Coronavirus
Right dorsal colitis
Grain overload
Dietary
What are the clinical signs of acute diarrhoea in the adult horse?
Cow pat to high volume hosepipe D+++
Quiet to depressed
Colic, fever, hypovolaemia
SIRS
Laminitis
Secondary infections
What are the risk factors for acute diarrhoea?
GI disease, immunosuppression, antimicrobials, GA/abdo surgery
Management changes
What are the causes of chronic diarrhoea in the adult horse?
Salmonella spp.
Cyathostomiasis
Right dorsal colitis
Sand enteropathy
Inflammatory bowel disease
Dietary
What are the clinical signs of chronic diarrhoea in the adult horse?
Bright
Ventral oedema
Weight loss
Electrolyte imbalance
What is the most frequently isolated salmonella spp. in horses with large volumes of watery diarrhoea?
Salmonella Typhimurium
What clostridium spp. is associated with antimicrobial colitis?
Clostridium Difficile
What are the most common clostridium spp seen with haemorrhagic D++ in neonates?
Clostridium perfrigens types A and C
What are the risk factors of Cyathostomiasis infestation?
Age, season, period since last anthelmintic, altered host immunity, potentially stress and dietary changes.
What medication administration can lead to right dorsal colitis?
NSAIDs (toxicity)
What is the age range classification of the young horse?
6 weeks to 9 months
What additional differentials are the for acute diarrhoea in the young horse?
Proliferative enteropathy and rhodococcus equi
What clinical signs are seen in proliferative enteropathy along with acute diarrhoea in the young horse?
Severe hypoalbuminemia and weight loss +++
What are the two neonatal age ranges?
0-10 days and 10 days to 6 weeks.
What is the colloquial term for equine dysautonomia?
Grass sickness
What age of horse are typically affected by equine dysautonomia?
2 to 7 years old
What are the risk factors for equine dysautonomia?
Horses on pasture with mechanical dropping removal
Presence of domesticated birds on the field
Stress, higher BCS
Cool, dry weather. Frequent worming.
History of grass sickness
How long do horses with sub-acute equine dysautonomia typically survive?
> 2 days
How long do horses with chronic equine dysautonomia typically survive?
> 7 days
What are the clinical signs of acute equine dysautonomia?
Severe gut paralysis leading to acute colic signs
Difficulty swallowing and drooling
Nasogastric reflux
Mucus coated, hard droppings
Muscle tremors and patchy sweating
Tachycardia
What are the clinical signs of sub-acute equine dysautonomia?
Rapid weight loss
May eat small amounts of food
Mild-moderate colic
What are the clinical signs of chronic equine dysautonomia?
More insidious
Mild or intermittent colic
Reduced appetite
Difficulty eating
Rapid and severe weight loss/emaciation
Some may recover
What are the clinical signs of gastric disease?
Changes in temperament
Poor performance
Resentment of girthing and leg aid
Bucking/rearing under saddle
Weight loss
Colic signs
How do you prepare the horse for a scope?
No food for at least 12 hours
Water removed around 4 hours before
Grazing muzzle on a horse that eats bedding
What are the grades of squamous mucosa ulceration?
0 - epithelium intact and no appearance of hyperkeratosis
1 - Mucosa intact but areas of hyperkeratosis
2 - Small, single or multifocal lesions
3 - Large, single or extensive superficial lesions
4 - Extensive lesions with areas of apparent deep ulceration
What husbandry changes should be made for a horse diagnosed with gastric ulceration?
Feed roughage ad lib especially during the day
Reduce stressful stimuli
Eliminate carbohydrates from the horse’s diet
What is the most common treatment option for gastric ulceration?
Long acting, injectable omeprazole (4mg/kg once a week)
What is the adult appearance of strongyles?
Small and white/red
What is the adult appearance of roundworms
Large, flat and white
What is the adult appearance of pinworms?
Up to 5cm, white, pointy, tall like a beansprout
What is the adult appearance of tapeworms?
Small, flat and white
What is habronemiasis associated with?
Skin sores and conjunctivitis
What are some prevention methods of habronemiasis?
Good fly control
Muck heap management
Frequent bedding replacement
Cover wounds
Treat ocular disease
What age of horse is typically affected by parascaris equorum?
Horses less than 2 years old
What are the clinical signs of parascaris equorum infestation?
Coughing and nasal discharge
Poor coat, weight gain, dull, anorexic, occasional colic
Bone and tendon disorders
How do you treat parascaris equorum?
Avermectins
What is the colloquial name for anoplocephala perfoliate/magna?
Equine tapeworm
What are the clinical signs of anoplocephala perfoliate?
Ileal impaction
Intussusceptions
Caecal impactions and motility disorders
Spasmodic colic
Diarrhoea
Functional and physical blockages
What is the prepatent period of anoplocephala perfoliate?
6 to 10 weeks
How do you treat anoplocephala perfoliate?
High dose pyrantel and praziquantel
What parasite is an important cause of surgical colic?
Strongylus vulgaris
What are the results of Strongylus vulgaris infection?
Protein-losing enteropathy
Anaemia
Colic, diarrhoea and anorexia
Lameness and poor performance
Occasional granulomas
What are the clinical signs of cyathostominosis?
Severe acute diarrhoea
Colic
Weight loss
Diarrhoea
Wasting and death
What is classed as the parasite of the stabled horse?
O.equi
What management considerations should help to control levels of GI parasites?
- Appropriate stocking
Faecal collection
Dung heaps separate from grazing area
Pasture rotation
Grazing with ruminants
Create refugia
What are some common clinical signs of colic?
Restless or agitated
Eating less or droppings reduced
Abdominal pain
Clinical changes
Tired or lethargic
What are signs of severe or critical colic cases?
Severe unrelenting pain
Look depressed
Discoloured MMs
Absent gut sounds
Self-trauma
HR over 60bpm with abdominal distension
What is the management for a grade 1 or 2 rectal tear?
Most will heal with medical treatment - antibiotics, laxatives and dietary changes
What surgery options are available for a rectal teat?
Direct suturing, temporary indwelling rectal liner and colostomy
What can trigger systemic inflammatory response syndrome?
Bacterial toxins resulting in coagulopathies
What is the definition of sepsis?
Systemic inflammatory response syndrome plus a culture proven infection
What does MODS stand for?
Multi-organ dysfunction sydrome
What is MODS?
Altered organ function in an acutely ill animal such that haemostasis cannot be maintained without intervention.
What does DIC stand for?
Disseminated intravascular coagulation
How is disseminated intravascular coagulation diagnosed?
Thrombocytopenia
Prolonged prothrombin time
Prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time
Increased fibrin degradation products
Decreased antithrombin 3
What electrolyte imbalances develop when horses have had food withheld in combination with resuscitation fluids?
Hypokalaemia and hypomagnesaemia
What electrolytes are commonly lost in animals with diarrhoea?
Sodium and Chlorine
State causes of ileus.
pain
Abdominal surgery
Drugs
GI disease/inflammation
What can be used to monitor nutrition status of the horse?
Weight
Physical exam
Hydration status
Metabolic lab work
Blood glucose
Triglycerides
BUN
Electrolytes
TS
What is the treatment for thrombophlebitis?
Broad spectrum antibiotics
Anti-inflammatories
Heparin
Vasodilators
Raise head
What does low grade constant grumbling on gut sound auscultation indicate?
Peristalsis in small intestine and colon.
How often should caecal emptying occur?
1-3 times a minute
What should you be able to palpate on rectal?
Small intestine
Caecum
Large colon
Spleen
Ovaries
Uterus +/- bladder
What is the normal volume of gastric fluid?
2-3 litres
What does opaque pink/brown (serosanguinous) fluid indicate on peritoneal tap?
Compromised intestine
What does opaque green/brown (ingesta) fluid indicate on peritoneal tap?
Ruptured intestine
What does turbid white/yellow fluid indicate on peritoneal tap?
Peritonitis
What is the pathophysiology of granulomatous enteritis?
Lymphoid and macrophage infiltration. Ileal villous atrophy
What is the suspected cause of granulomatous enteritis?
Inflammatory reaction to intestinal bacteria.
What is the potential cause of eosinophilic enterocolitis?
Nematode infestation inducing a hypersensitivity reaction.
What horses are predisposed to eosinophilic enterocolitis?
Young Tbs and standardbreds.
What are the risk factors for lymphocytic-plasmocytic enterocolitis?
Overcrowding, feed changes, ATB usage, mixing and transport, weaning
What are the large intestinal causes of lymphocytic-plasmocytic enterocolitis
Parasitic infestation, right dorsal colitis, sand enteropathy, eosinophilic enterocolitis
What is Theiler’s disease associated with?
Equine blood products and equine parvovirus
What main 3 pathogens are associated with cholangiohepatitis?
Salmonellas spp., Klebsiella spp. and E.coli
What is cholelithiasis?
Stone formation in the biliary ducts/obstruction
What is the treatment for proliferative enteropathy?
Tetracyclines
IV oxytetracycline for 1 weeks then doxycycline
How do you treat chronic sand enteropathy?
Psyllium and MgSO4 daily for 5-7 days.
NSAIDS, surgical emptying, enough roughage
What additional supportive care can be used for horses with weight loss?
Vitamin E, milk thistle extracts, S-adenosylmethionine (anti-oxidant), N-acetylcysteine (cytoprotective)
