General

Question 1

What are the common causes of endocarditis in farm animals?

Answer 1

Secondary to persistent bacteriaemia

Traumatic reticulitis, liver abscess, nephritis, mastitis, metritis

Question 2

What are the clinical signs of endocarditis in cattle?

Answer 2

Persistent fever
Pain on pinch test
Tachycardia
Polyarthritis due to emboli

Question 3

How can you diagnose endocarditis in cattle?

Answer 3

20ml of blood submitted for blood culture
Left shift neutrophillia on bloods
Increased fibrinogen

Question 4

How can you treat endocarditis in cattle?

Answer 4

Long term antibiotics required, often relapse

Poor px best to euthanise as it is likely the carcass will be condemned at the abattoir

Question 5

What is the most common congenital cardiac disease found in calves, and how does it present?

Answer 5

Ventricular septal defect
Stunted growth to sudden death, no cyanosis
Systolic murmur

Question 6

What cardiac disease would you suspect in a cow presenting in respiratory distress, with shallow breathing and abducted elbows? A grunt is heard before the primary contraction on the Eric Williams test, she does not move when her withers are pinched and shows a pain reaction when the bar test is performed.

Answer 6

Pericarditis secondary to traumatic reticulitis

Question 7

What is the prognosis for pericarditis secondary to traumatic reticulitis?

Answer 7

Poor
Death usually occurs in 1-2 weeks
May recur after surgery

Question 8

What are the common complications see with traumatic pericarditis?

Answer 8

Acute death due to the rupture of a ventricle or vessel

Fibrinous pericarditis

Question 9

What is the likely diagnosis of a 2-3yo, well grown Holstein, presenting with brisket oedema, jugular distension and ascites?

Answer 9

Dilated cardiomyopathy

- 2-3y Holsteins are predisposed

Question 10

A farmer reports some 1-3yo cows have died suddenly on his farm and some are presenting very sick, they appear in pain and have respiratory distress and pyrexia. The farmer feeds a high concentrate diet and cake in the parlour. What is the likely diagnosis?

Answer 10

Caudal vena cava thrombosis

Occurs secondary to liver abscessation acquired due to acidosis and rumenitis

Question 11

What can cause right sided cardiac hypertrophy following chronic respiratory disease?

Answer 11

Pulmonary hypertension

Question 12

What should you consider as a differential in bilateral epistaxis?

Answer 12

Pulmonary embolism

Question 13

How can bloat cause arrhythmias?

Answer 13

Expansion of an abdominal viscous can cause vagal stimulation

Question 14

How can large animal cardiac disease be treated in farm animals?

Answer 14

IV Frusemide to treat udder oedema
Long term amoxicillin for endocarditis

Generally poor prognosis - tend to become fallen stock

Question 15

What are common infectious causes of myocardial necrosis in ruminants?

Answer 15

Foot and mouth disease
Haemophillus somni - glassers disease
Clostridial infections

Question 16

What are some non-infectious cause of myocardial necrosis in ruminants?

Answer 16

Vitamin E and selenium deficiency
Iron toxicity in piglets
Porcine stress syndrome

Question 17

What is the pathogenesis of vitamin E and selenium responsive myocardial necrosis?

Answer 17

Vitamin e and selenium are oxidising agents that remove free radicals
In deficiency, free radicals accumulate and cause damage to the muscle cell membranes = myocardial necrosis

Question 18

How does vitamin e and selenium deficiency present?

Answer 18

Abortion and perinatal mortality

Sudden death in neonatal lambs and calves

Question 19

What are the risk factors for vitamin e and selenium deficiency in the ewe/cow?

Answer 19

Low pasture / forage bioavailability

Excess copper in the diet - antagonises selenium absorption

Question 20

What are the risk factors for vitamin e and selenium deficiency in neonatal calves and lambs?

Answer 20

Low bioavailability in the calf / lamb ration
Rapid post natal growth
Larger nutritional requirement of continental cattle

Question 21

How can you treat / prevent vitamin e and selenium deficiency?

Answer 21

Supplement ewes/cows in late pregnancy
- available as IM, bolus or combined with worming drenches
Check diet with nutritionalist
Perform mineral analysis of soil/pasture

Question 22

List the differential diagnoses for sudden death in cattle.

Answer 22

Haemorrhage - calving injury / abomasal ulcers 
Yew toxicity
Lightening
Electrocution
Hypomagnesaemia 
Hypocalcaemia 
Toxaemia
Bloat
Black leg - clostridium chauvoei
Blacks disease - clostridium novyi
Anthrax - PM - no rigor, no clotted blood, black and tarry