General (Housing/Toxicology/Surgery) Flashcards
CA01; CA11; CA28-29; CA19
name 4 aims of biosecurity
- prevent introduction of disease onto a farm
- minimise spread of disease on farm
- control and eradication of disease
- reduce zoonotic disease risks
name the 5 key requirements for cattle housing
- temperature
- moisture
- fresh air
- air speed
- hygiene
name 4 protocols that should be in place to help decrease disease pressures
- standard and hi-spec cleaning
- calving and calf pens
- feeding equipment
- feeders
what should the neutral temperature be for a new-born calf to function?
10-26 degrees celsius
what should the neutral temperature be for a 4 week old calf to function
0-23 degrees celsius
this is an important requirement for housing for cattle; it is very good at killing respiratory viruses and bacteria
fresh air
(open air)
at what age do calves need water
after day 2!
name 4 treatment options for cattle/sheep that have eaten toxic plants
- IVFT
- Charcoal
- Rumenotomy
- some specific antidotes
name the toxin
plants: yew, ragwort, laburnum, lupins, hemlock;
acrid/bitter taste animals usually avoid but can become addicted to them;
generally fatal posonings/incomplete recovery
alkaloids
name the toxic plant
most poisonous plant of Europe;
parks, gardens, fences;
ALL parts of the tree are poisonous;
taxine, alkaloids, and cyanide cause cardiac failure (sudden death);
no specific treatment - will often just find animals
Yew
name the toxic plant(s)
mimic neurotransmitters (acetylcholine, dopamine, serotonin);
teratogenic effects;
excess salivation, vomiting, abd convulsions, death
Hemlock and Lupins
name the toxic plant(s)
common in pasture;
toxic after drying;
avoided by animals unless desperate (bitter taste),
toung plants worse than old;
pyrrolizidine alkaloids lead to hepatic toxicity
ragwort
name the toxic plant(s)
name the 4 types of toxic glycosides
- cyanogenic
- goitrogenic
- cardiac
- saponins
name the type of toxic glycoside
ex: linseed and laurel;
contain enzymes which convert glycosides to hydrocyanic acid (HCN);
HCN inactivates cytochrome oxidase system which starves cells of oxygen
cyanogenic glycosides
name 3 PM signs of cyanogenic glycosides
- bright red mucosa
- smell of ‘bitter almonds’ in rumen
- HCN content of liver or muscle
name the type of toxic glycoside
glucosinolate and thiocyanate;
highest concentration of toxin is in seeds of mature plants;
goitre, reduced growth rates, dairrhoea, sudden onset blindnes;
no treatment if glucosinolate induced, treat with iodine supplementation if thiocyanate induced
goitrogenic glycosides
name the type of toxic glycoside
ex: lily of the valley, foxglove, rhododendrums;
do not lose toxicity when dried or boiled;
toxin: digitoxin and digitalin - specific action on myocardium, incr contractility and reduces HR;
treatment with IVFT, atropine, propanolol, charcoal, rumenotomy
cardiac glycosides
what treatment can be used for rhododendrum toxicity
black tea
name the type of toxic glycoside
ex: common ivy;
naturally occurring glycoside with physical properties of soap;
bitter taste;
generally absorbed very slowly;
lg quantities cause gastroenteritis;
emetic and purgative
saponins
name the toxic plant
foilage contains protoanemonin;
acrid bitter taste;
can cause blisters and dermatitis on mouth, could cause death in vast quantities;
NOT toxic once dried in hay
buttercups
name the toxic plant
VERY common in scotland;
woods, fields, hillsides;
cumulative toxic effect over 1-3mo of exposure;
remain toxic in hay;
mortality usually above 90% in cattle
bracken fern
name the 4 toxins present in bracken
- thiaminase
- ptaquiloside
- aplastic anaemia factor
- prunasin
name the toxic plant
particularly toxic for ruminants;
individual animals can develop cravings for them;
bind to protein;
cause astringent reaction in mouth;
hydrostable tannins broken down in GIT to toxic metabolites causing necrosis of renal tubules
acorns (tannins)
what 3 things can be administered in order to treat tannin toxicity
- liquid paraffin with milk
- mucilage
- appetite stimulants
name the 3 parts of treatment for an animal affected by photosensitising agents
- immediately house in darkness until lesions heal
- abx cover for secondary infections
- NSAID
this is caused by the fungus Pithomyces chartarum;
associated with perennial ryegrass pasture in New Zealand;
sporidesmins concentrate in the liver and biliary tract causing reduced bile flow and hepatitis with hepatogenous photosensitisation
facial eczema
what can be used to prevent the spores and the toxins from causing facial eczema
zinc
what body system is affected by these toxins
- copper
- bracken fern
- acorn/oak
urinary system
what body system is affected by these toxins
- bracken/fern
- sulphur toxicity
- lead
- lupine
- organophosphates
- mycotoxins
- hemlock
- ragwort
- nightshades
- rhododendron
- blue-green algae
neurological
what body system is affected by these toxins
- St. John’s wort / hypericum
- bog asphodel
- blue-green algae
- axcess of any green fodder
dermatological / skin
what body system is affected by these toxins
- pasture grasses (tryptophan)
- sorghum
- perilla mint
- moldy sweet potato
- stinkwood
- rapeseed
- kale
respiratory
what body system is affected by these toxins
- oleander
- Ionophores
- gossypol
- yew
- foxglove
- bracken
- laurel
cardiac/vascular
what body system is affected by these toxins
- nitrate/nitrite
- brassica poisoning
- lead
- laurel and prunus
blood / haemoglobin
what body system is affected by these toxins
- ponderosa pine
- lupine
- mycotoxins
- hemlock
reproductive
name 5 toxin-related risks of crop grazing?
- haemolytic anaemia factor (SMCO)
- nitrate toxicity
- bloat
- photosensitisation
- goitre
name the toxin associated with crop grazing
rape and kale feeding;
converded by bacterial fermentation in rumen to dimethyl sulphide causing haemolysis;
small amounts = poor growth rates;
high concentrations = lambs become anaemic with red urine progressing rapidly to death
SMCO (haemolytic anaemia factor)
name the toxin associated with crop grazing
absorbed by plants from soil;
accumulates in soil during dry periods;
clovers and Brassica absorb high concentrations;
causes gastroenteritis, abd pain and scour;
combines with haemoglobin to form methaemoglobin which cannot transport oxygen
nitrates/nitrites
what is the treatment for nitrate/nitrite toxicity
slow IV infusion of methylene blue
what must be fed alongside brassicas in order to avoid bloat
fibre
name 3 risk factors for summer scour syndrome
- early weaned calves
- dairy calves
- lush, fertilised grass
name 4 sheep breeds with high susceptibility to copper toxicity
- bluefaced leicester
- north ronaldsay
- texel
- suffolk
name 2 sheep breeds with low susceptibility to copper toxicity
- cheviots
- scottish blackface
name 4 gross PM findings in sheep with copper poisoning
- enlarged, gun-metal kidneys
- red urine
- jaundice
- hepatic necrosis
name 5 common causes of lead poisoning
- paint
- car batteries
- gunshot
- fishing weights
- industrial waste
what tube should blood be collected in to look for lead poisoning
heparin tubes
name 4 common mycotoxins
- Aflatoxin (Aspergillus)
- Zearalenone (Fusarium)
- Fumonisin (Fusarium)
- Ergots (Claviceps)
name 5 common clinical signs of mycotoxin poisoning
- diarrhoea
- ketosis
- fatty liver
- abortion
- death
name the mycotoxin
produced by Fusarium spp.;
contaminate growing plants and stored feed;
prefers moderate climate and humid conditions;
primarily oestrogenic effects (binds to estradiol receptors)
zearalenone
name 3 clinical signs of zearalenone mycotoxin poisoning
- signs of estrus
- vulvovaginitis
- reproductive dydfunction
name the mycotoxin
produced by Fusarium spp;
found in cereal crops;
assoc with warm conditions and insect damage;
causes pulmonary oedema in pigs = usually acute and fatal;
leads to immunosuppression
Fumonism
name the mycotoxin
produced from Claviceps spp;
rye, ryegrasses, fescues or silage-based;
not common;
causes vasoconstriction leading to ischemic necrosis and gangrene of extremities
ergotism (fescue foot)
is there a legal requirement for anaesthetic/analgesia when using an elastrator ring to castrate a calf, lamb, or kid <7d
no
(but NSAID recommended)
what is the ideal age to surgically castrate a calf
1-3mo
at what age does castration of a calf require local anaesthetic and vet
over 2mo
what sort of analgesia/anaesthetic should be used when vasectomising a ram
xylazine sedation plus local
what should be removed in a vasectomy of a ram?
3-5 cm of vas deferens
at what age does dehorning cattle become an act of veterinary surgery?
more than 2 mo
what is the ideal age for disbudding calves
2-4 weeks
what nerve block must be done with 2-5 mL procaine before disbudding a calf
cornual nerve block
name 2 possible complications of dehorning with larger horns
- haemorrhage
- frontal sinusitis
what local nerve block must be given to goats before disbudding
cornual branch of infratrochlear and lacrimal nerves
do NOT apply burners for longer than this when disbudding goat kids
3s
is it a requirement to use anaesthetic when placing a bull nose ring
no
