GI 2

Question 1

what is acute gastritis/acute gastroenteritis and what causes it?

Answer 1

sudden gastric insult causing vomiting

usually vomiting, +/- hematemesis, anorexia, nausea, diarrhea

causes: primary GI common, dietary indiscretion, infectious, intoxicants, etc

Question 2

how to diagnose acute gastritis? treatment?

Answer 2

history, PE, and MEDB, usually have no GI urgency markers

tx: theraputic trial, NPO trial

Question 3

what is chronic gastritis? causes?

Answer 3

chronic intermittent or daily vomiting, usually shortly after eating. usually no GI urgency markers but could have some derm allergies/itchy skin

caused by dietary intolerance/hypersensitivity/allergy OR could be something more serious

Question 4

treatment for chronic gastritis?

Answer 4

a diet trial, usually something in the food is the problem

Question 5

what are the 2 options for diet trials and how do they work

Answer 5

hydrolyzed diets: proteins are cut so small the body can’t recognize it

novel proteins: animal should have never eaten it before so body should not respond

remember, need 6-8 weeks and NO TREATS to see if this works

Question 6

what should you do if your theraputic or diet trail failed?

Answer 6

do more diagnostics!

rads, ultrasound (better for chronic stuff), endoscope, biopsies, GI blood panel, fecal float

Question 7

what is the bacteria that causes ulcers in humans but not in animals, and is often associated with chronic vomiting

Answer 7

helicobacter pylori

Question 8

how to treat helicobacter pylori

Answer 8

metronidazole, amoxicillin, famotidine

Question 9

what is defined as delayed gastric emptying?

Answer 9

outflow obstruction in the stomach or defective propulsion, usually presenting as vomiting 8-16 hrs after food (compared to chronc gastroenteritis they vomit right after food)

Question 10

what is the name of the condition brachy breeds get that cause delayed gastric emptying?

Answer 10

pyloric hypertrophy

Question 11

if an owner says their cat is coughing up hairballs, what condition could this actually be?

Answer 11

asthma

Question 12

are cat hairballs normal?

Answer 12

considered abnormal if frequent or if associated with weight loss. they could mean nothing or they could be anything.

Question 13

is there a way to treat hair balls?

Answer 13

special hair ball diets, dietary changes, brushing them do they dont groom as much, smaller meals, prokinetics, gastric lubricants, usually trial and error to see what works

Question 14

true or false: gastric ulcers are common in cats and dogs

Answer 14

false! they are uncommon UNLESS they have a predisposing factor

Question 15

what causes gastric ulcers?

Answer 15

decreased blood flow, hypersecretion of acid, NSAIDs and steroids, exercise induced, addisons disease, aspirin, ibuprofen

Question 16

what diagnostic results will you get with a gastric ulcer?

Answer 16

vomiting, hematemesis, melena, pale gums, abdominal pain, shock

regenerative anemia, elevated BUN (GI breaks down the blood and the liver makes BUN),

Question 17

what is bilious vomiting syndrome?

Answer 17

chronic intermittent vomiting of BILE secondary to reflux in the stomach. usually the dog vomits bile in the early morning. treated by giving a meal late at night and giving antacids

Question 18

how is GI lymphoma different in dogs compared to cats?

Answer 18

dogs: nodular lesions
cats: diffuse lesions

Question 19

what is acute hemorrhagic diarrhea syndrome, aka hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (HGE)?

Answer 19

a syndrome, cause not known. an acute hypersensitivity reaction, possible due to C perfringens enterotoxins. usually vomiting, small and large bowel diarrhea, hematochexia, and protein loss and dehydration. can lead to hypovolemia and shock

Question 20

why do you give IV antibiotics to a parvo puppy

Answer 20

because the virus causes immunosuppression and can become septic

Question 21

true or false: the mortality rate for feline panleukpenia is high

Answer 21

true, even with treatment they will likely die

Question 22

infection with feline panleuk in uteruo causes

Answer 22

cerebellar hypoplasia

Question 23

how do you diagnose giardia and how do you treat

Answer 23

diagnose: 3 zinc sulfate floats, or ELISA or PCR, serge likes PCR

treat: fenbendazole or metronidazole

Question 24

which breed is known for getting gluten sensitive enteropathy?

Answer 24

irish setters

Question 25

what is ARD/SIBO?

Answer 25

antibiotic responsive diarrhea (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth)

caused by a dysbiosis, the bacteria get all out of whack and cause malabsorption and diarrhea

primary: IgA deficinecy in the gut, GSDs
secondary: abnormal GI tract

Question 26

clinical signs of ARD/SIBO? treatments

Answer 26

small bowel diarrhea, vomiting, weight loss, borborygmi, flatus/farts, decreased appetite

make sure you eliminate other causes like EPI

treat with metronidazole, tylosin for 4-6 weeks to “restart” the bacterial balance in the GI tract

Question 27

what are cobalamin and folate testing used for, what do they tell you?

Answer 27

both B vitamins, used as advanced GI diagnostics

cobalamin: if low can indicate IBD or bacterial overgrowth/ARB (the bacteria eat it)

folate: bacteria make it, so if increased, could suggest ARD. if decreased, suggestive of severe mucosal disease

neither of these tests are sensitive or specific

Question 28

what are TLI and PLI tests used for

Answer 28

TLI: for EPI only, make sure fasted for 12 hrs
PLI: for pancreatitis only

Question 29

exocrine pancreatic insufficiency is…

Answer 29

insufficient synthesis and secretion of pancreatic enzymes

usually primary in dogs and secondary in cats (chronic pancreatitis)

Question 30

clinical signs of EPI and how do you diagnose and treat

Answer 30

steatorrhea, voluminous loose stools, weight loss, increased appetite

diagnosis: low TLI, very sensitive and specific test

treatment: pancreatic enzyme suppkementation with food, may need cobalamin supplements, high quality diets