GI diseases in ruminants Flashcards
1
Q
What is atony?
A
“stasis” - no gut movement/muscle movement
2
Q
What is ileus?
A
cessation of peristalsis
3
Q
What is tenesmus?
A
severe straining
4
Q
What is tympany?
A
excess gas causing distension
5
Q
What is dysphagia?
A
difficulty eating
6
Q
What is wooden tongue?
A
tumorous abscesses of the tongue caused by actinobacillus lignieresii
7
Q
What can cause wooden tongue?
A
coarse feed causing oral punctures or abrasions > bacterial invasion of soft tissue
8
Q
What are the clinical signs of wooden tongue?
A
- primary lesion is very hard, diffusely swollen, painful tongue
- difficulty swallowing, can’t eat or drink, drooling, weight loss
9
Q
What is the tx for wooden tongue?
A
sodium iodide IV, abx 7-10 days, early tx respond well
10
Q
What is lump jaw?
A
caused by bacteria “actinomyces bovis”
11
Q
What causes lump jaw?
A
oral abrasions > invasion of soft tissue > enters jawbone
12
Q
What are the clinical signs of lump jaw?
A
hard non moveable swelling (granuloma) on the lower or upper jaw, breaks open and drains pus through skin, weight loss
13
Q
What is the tx for lump jaw?
A
sodium iodide IV several times, concurrent tx with antimicrobials recommended
14
Q
What is choke?
A
foreign body lodged in esophagus, cannot eat/swallow properly
15
Q
What are the clinical signs of choke?
A
- free gas bloat
- swallow a lot
- salivate excessively
- nasal discharge of food and water
- in distress or recumbent
- extension of head, protrusion of tongue
16
Q
What is the tx for choke?
A
sedate and pass tube, lavage with fluids
17
Q
What can chronic choke cause?
A
pressure necrosis of esophageal mucosa
18
Q
What are abomasal ulcers caused by?
A
Variety of suspected causes
such as:
* finely ground feed (especially in
pigs)
* high grain rations (feeder
calves/dairy cows)
* stress (high performance,
production, confinement)
* hairballs (calves)
* bacterial (Clostridial)
19
Q
Who are abomasal ulcers most commonly seen in?
A
calves and high producing, mature dairy cows
20
Q
What are the clinical signs of abomasal ulcers?
A
- poor doers
- thin/poor haircoat
- +/- signs of colic
- +/- black manure
21
Q
What is the tx for hairballs?
A
- get eating
- antacids/protectants
- NSAIDs
- abx if perforating ulcer suspected
22
Q
What is abomasitis?
A
aka abomasal bloat
23
Q
What is the cause of abomasitis?
A
Not well understood, possible causes could be:
* bacterial infection of the abomasal wall
* compromised immunity from inadequate colostrum.
* ingestion of foreign bodies such as hair and coarse plants.
* vitamin / mineral deficiencies.
* bacteria such as Clostridium perfringens type A and species of Sarcinia, Salmonella typhimurium.
24
Q
What are the clinical signs of abomasitis?
A
rapid onset: abdominal distention, depressed attitude, occasional signs of colic, +/- diarrhea
25
What is the treatment of abomasitis?
early intervention critical
26
What is impaction related to and who does it mostly affect?
related to diet (poor quality roughage, lack of water, sand can occur if fed hay/sileage on sandy soils), most often occurs in abomasum, pregnant cows most common during cold weather
27
What are the clinical signs of impaction?
- develops slowly over 5-7 days
- gradually get distended in lower abdomen
- lubricants can be used to moved impacted material
- sx emptying of abomasum if severely impacted
28
What are the clinical signs of impaction?
- develops slowly over 5-7 days
- gradually get distended in lower abdomen
- lubricants can be used to moved impacted material
- sx emptying of abomasum if severely impacted
29
What causes grain overload (acidosis)?
over ingestion of carbs beyond what rumen microbes can handle > bacteria produce excess lactic acid > decreases pH of rumen = acidosis
30
What are the clinical signs of grain overload?
- bloat
- loose manure
- depression
- stiffness, staggering
- laminitis
31
What is the tx for grain overload?
- prevent access to water for 24 hrs
- rumen lavage
- stomach tube with mineral oil
- feed roughage ONLY
- antacids
- charcoal drench
- antihistamines
- IV bicarbonate to counteract acidosis
32
What causes frothy bloat?
legume pastures or hay - traps gas
33
What causes free gas bloat?
sudden change in feed or too much grain, obstruction preventing eructation
34
What are the clinical signs of bloat?
- full, distended left flank
- discomfort up and down
- difficult breathing with grunting
- frequent urination
35
What is the tx of bloat?
pass a stomach tube, bloat drenches, rumen trocar
36
How do we prevent bloat?
- avoid lush, wet, immature alfalfa pastures
- avoid sudden changes in feed
- any feed additives (ionophores) use is off label
37
What is an LDA?
left displaced abomasum
38
What causes LDA?
usually dietary related (high grain, low roughage, low fiber diets) - result of abomasal hypomotility and gas production
39
Who do we primarily see LDA's in?
dairy cows, 1 month after calving
40
What are the clinical signs of LDA?
- off feed
- weight loss
- milk production drops dramatically
- diarrhea
- can hear a "ping" on left side
41
What is the tx for LDA?
- rolling through 180* arc after casting her on her right side (recurrence very likely)
- laparotomy in the right para lumbar fossa
42
What is a RDA?
Right displaced abomasum - moves up higher on right side and becomes twisted (torsion)
43
What causes RDA?
hypomotility, gas production and displacement of the partially gas filled abomasum, mainly seen in dairy cows shortly after calving
44
What are the clinical signs of RDA?
+/- colic
- severe drop in milk production
- dehydration > shock > death
45
What is the tx for RDA?
Sx, IV fluids, prognosis guarded
46
What is hardware disease?
"reticuloperotonitis/reticulopericarditis"
- ingestion of wires/nails > puncture through wall of reticulum into abdomen, can also penetrate diaphragm and enter heart
47
What are the clinical signs of hardware disease?
- off feed
- reluctant to move/ hunched back
- grunting/grinding teeth
- ventral edema
- +/- fever
48
What is the tx/prevention for hardware disease?
- magnets (prevention only)
- abx
- poor prognosis
49
What is BVD fetal infection?
if an unprotected cow gets infected with BVD it will cross placenta and infect fetus
50
What happens if a fetus is infected with BVD at <40 days?
early embryonic death and infertility
51
What happens if a fetus is infected with BVD at 40-120 days?
- NCP strain
- fetus will recognize virus as "self"
- born persistently infected
52
What happens if a fetus is infected with BVD at 120-180 days?
born with congenital defects - brain defects (incoordination), deformities of legs, blindness
53
What happens if a fetus is infected with BVD at >180 days?
born with antibodies to virus, immune, normal and will not shed virus
54
What bacteria causes johne's disease?
mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis
55
What does Johne's disease cause?
gradual thickening of intestines > weight loss, diarrhea, death
56
What is Johne's disease?
contagious, chronic, and usually fatal infection that primarily affects the SI of ruminants - Notifiable disease in Alberta
57
What are the 4 stages of Johne's disease?
Stage 1 - silent infection (shed but no clinical signs)
Stage 2 - subclinical shedders (carrier, 15-25% positive)
Stage 3 - clinical
Stage 4 - advanced clinical stage (profuse watery diarrhea and weight loss)
58
What are some qualities of Johne's disease?
- can survive >1 year in soil at -14c temps
- somewhat susceptible to drying and sunlight
- bacteria shed in feces (especially late stages)
- transmission primarily fecal-oral
59
What are the clinical signs of Johne's disease?
continue to eat and appear bright but have diarrhea and become emaciated
60
What are the subclinical signs of Johne's disease?
decreased milk production, poor conception rates
61
How is Johne's disease diagnosed?
1. fecal culture (not very sensitive=false negatives)
2. blood testing (ELISA test) - can get false negatives if antibodies not circulating all the time
3. milk testing (ELISA test) - false negative depending on stage of disease
4. postmortem (gross findings in intestine and lymph nodes)
62
What is the prevention/control methods for Johne's disease?
- no tx for positive animals
- no vx available
- cull all positives and their offspring
- removal/handling of manure to prevent transmission
- separate dairy calves from cows at birth and feed clean colostrum
- purchase replacement negative tested animals only
63
What protozoan causes coccidia?
Eimeria - cows shed many oocysts prior to calving
64
Who is coccidia primarily seen in?
young weaned cattle, feedlot calves, young suckling calves - stress plays huge role
65
What are some qualities of coccidia?
- common 3-5 weeks after feedlot entry or after weaning
- oocysts can survive for >1 yr in environment
66
What are the clinical signs of coccidia?
dark/black feces, unthrifty, decreased feed efficiency
67
What are the clinical signs of severe coccidia?
- fever
- diarrhea with blood
- weight loss
- dehydration
- anemia
- straining > rectal prolapse
- death
68
What is the treatment/control for coccidia?
oral meds - sulfas, amprolium
prevent by use of coccidiostats/coccidiocides in feed
prevent fecal contamination of feed, reduce stress/crowding
69
What is neonatal diarrhea?
management disease, many different pathogens, shed through feces and contaminate environments
E.coli infection occurs 1-5 days old, others >1 week old
70
What is E.coli neonatal diarrhea?
bacterial, affects ALL neonatal farm animals
2 forms:
- enteric/enterotoxigenic (diarrhea)
- septicemic ( affect many areas of body via bloodstream)
71
What is coronavirus neonatal diarrhea?
virus, affects villi and crypt cells of intestines
often a mixed infection
mostly in calves approx. 5- 21 days old
72
What is rotavirus neonatal diarrhea?
virus, infects villi > sloughs > partial villous atrophy > heals in 4-6 days
often a mixed infection
calves and lambs 5-15 days old
73
What is cryptosporidium neonatal diarrhea?
protozoa, infected by ingesting oocysts in feces
often a mixed infection (rotavirus)
calves, lambs & kids 5-35 days old
ZOONOTIC!
74
What is salmonella neonatal diarrhea?
bacterial, causes severe enteritis in neonates and adults
septicemic form affects neonates ~ 4 mths old
mortality ~ 100% w/o tx
ZOONOTIC
ISOLATION REQUIRED
75
What are the 4 possible causes of neonatal diarrhea?
1. inadequate colostrum protection (poor mothering, bad teats, low clostridial antibodies, etc)
2. environmental factors (wet conditions, fluctuating temps)
3. over-whelming exposure to organisms (contaminated calving grounds, over crowding, indoor calving, etc)
4. poor nutrition of dam during gestation (poor colostrum/milk production, unable to respond properly to vx, weak calves who won't suck, deficient in vitamins and minerals = calf will be too)
76
What are the clinical signs of neonatal diarrhea?
diarrhea > dehydration
acidosis > excess bicarb loss in diarrhea = dullness, staggering, stupor, coma
77
What is the tx for neonatal diarrhea?
FLUIDS!, anti-inflammatories, abx, warm up if cold
78
What is a mild case of neonatal diarrhea?
slight diarrhea, still nursing, hard to catch
observe closely, no tx needed
79
What is a moderate case of neonatal diarrhea?
depressed, easily caught, still moving around
Give 2L of oral fluids every 6-8 hrs, leave with cow
80
What is a severe case of neonatal diarrhea?
eyes sunken, cold extremities, unable or unwilling to get up, sternal or lat recumbency
IV fluids required
81
How can we prevent neonatal diarrhea?
- ensure calves get colostrum
- don't calve on wintering grounds
- move out cow/calf pairs quickly to clean pastures
- proper shelter, bedding, nutrition, etc
- avoid overcrowding
- treat early and often with fluids
82
How is the colostrum effective?
IG can only be absorbed for first 24 hours of life, 2L minimum needed in first 4 hours, then 4L within 12 hours after birth - passive transfer
83
What is wintery dysentery?
acute, highly contagious GI disorder that affects housed adult dairy cattle, primarily during winter in colder climates
84
What are the clinical signs of wintery dysentery?
explosive diarrhea, profound drop in milk production, variable anorexia, depression, mild resp signs
85
How can we prevent/treat wintery dysentery?
isolate new cattle for 2 weeks, and any adult cow with diarrhea - typically recover spontaneously within a few days
BIOSECURITY!
fresh water, palatable feed, and FC salt should always be available
IV fluid/blood transfusion in severe cases
