GIT

Question 1

Anti-emetics

Answer 1

Sucralfate: protective barrier when reacts with HCl
Cimetidine: Inhibits gastric acid
Omeprazole: Proton pump inhibitor
Metoclopramide: upper GI prokinetic agent
Ondansetron: good for chemo nausea and pancreatitis
Maropitant: very potent

Question 2

Frothy bloat

Answer 2

No eructation
Cows on pasture - legumes, clovers, alfafa and rich, lush pasture
Sudden and severe
Anti foaming agent - Poloxalene (25-50g), mineral oil, corn oil (500ml), simethicone (100ml), sternal recumbency, careful pasture management

Question 3

Calf diarrhoea

Answer 3

E. coli

Question 4

Cow diarrhoea

Answer 4

Johne’s
Sub-acute rumen acidosis
Salmonella
Winter dysentary

Question 5

Abdominocentesis

Horses

Answer 5

Normal:

• Clear, straw coloured
• 5000 cell count
• > 25 protein
• Bacterial, feed material

Question 6

Strangulating lesions

Horses

Answer 6

Small intestine:
Volvulus, strangulating lipoma, epiploic foramen entrapment, inguinal/scrotal hernia, intussceptions, diaphragmatic hernia, mesenteric rent

Large intestine (quite rare):
Colon torsion
Intussception

Question 7

Large intestine

Abdominal pain

Answer 7

Tenesmus
Diarrhoea
Mucus in the faeces
Haematochezia
Constipation

Question 8

Megacolon

Answer 8

Flaccid enlargement of the colon
Distension of the colon with faeces and loss of function of the colonic mucosa

Primary idiopathic: cats
Secondary: pelvic fractures, intrapelvic space-occupying lesion, neoplasia, lymphadenopathy, abscess, colorectal neoplasia/abscess, perineal hernia, inappropriate diet

Question 9

Colorectal neoplasia

Answer 9

Benign: adenomatous polyps, leiomyomas
Malignant: adenocarcinoma, leiomyosarcoma, lymphoma, haemangiosarcoma, plasmacytoma

Older dogs: 6-9y, GSD, Great Danes, Doberman, Boxer

Question 10

Anal sac apocrine gland adenocarcinoma

Answer 10

Highly malignant
Perianal adenoma: benign, common, intact male, spayed females
Perianal adenocarcinoma: malignant, rare, treat as anal sac adenocarcinoma

Question 11

Viral hepatitis

Answer 11

Adenoviruses: canine infectious hepatitis
Herpesvirus: EHV1, IBR, feline viral rhinotracheitis, Aujeszky’s disease
Coronavirus: FIP

Question 12

Bacterial hepatitis

Answer 12

Haematogenous spread: umbilical, portal (from GIT), hepatic artery

Hepatic abscessation: cattle, from umbilical infections (mixed bacteria), from rumenitis (grain overfeed)

Bacillary necrosis: Fusobacterium necrophorum - cattle

Infectious necrotic hepatitis: Black disease - Clostridium navyi type B - sheep, rarely horses or pigs
- Migrating immature liver fluke can precipitate disease, found dead

Bacillary haemoglbinuria: Clostridium haemolyticum - cattle and sheep
- Severe anaemia, jaundice, haemoglobin urea

Tyzzer’s disease: Bacillus piliformis - lab rodents (occasionally foals 1-4w, puppies, kittens)

Leptospirosis: principally dogs - zoonotic

Salmonellosis: principally calves - S. dublin
- Fever, dehydration and diarrhoea

Question 13

Liver parasites

Answer 13

Milk spot fever: Ascaris suum migration

Strongyle migration in horse

Question 14

Toxic liver damage

Answer 14

Acute: widespread haemorrhages - excessive consumption of clotting factors in the liver and failure to produce more e.g. blue-green algae, iron and crescis

Chronic: e.g. ragwort, alfatoxins, copper
Some drugs: primidone, sulphonamides and paracetamol (cats)

Question 15

Bile duct

Answer 15

Obstruction: parasites, gall stones, compression of the duct by inflammation/neoplasia

Rupture

Question 16

Liver tumours

Answer 16

Hepatocytes: hepatocellular carcinoma, hepatoma

Biliary epithelium: cholangiocellular carcinomas

Haemangiosarcoma

Secondary metastasis: melanoma, carcinoma, sarcoma and lymphoma

Question 17

Icterus

Answer 17

Pre-hepatic: haemolysis - IMHA, Babesia infection, toxins (onions, lead, copper)

Hepatic:

• Cat: Suppurative cholangiohepatitis, lymphocyte plasmacytic hepatitis, hepatic lipidosis, FIP, toxins, neoplasia
• Dog: acute liver disease (toxins), leptospirosis, chronic hepatitis, neoplasia

Post-hepatic: pancreatitis, neoplasia, cholelithiasis

Question 18

Icterus

Horses

Answer 18

Pre-hepatic: haemolysis, primary unconjugated bilirubin, neonatal isoerythrolysis (infections, drugs, toxins, autoimmune HA)

Hepatic: impaired hepatic uptake or conjugation, increased unconjugated, common cause - anorexia, acute hepatocellular disease

Post-hepatic: impaired excretion of bilirubin, cholangitis, cholangiohepatitis, cholestasis, shunts (very uncommon)

Question 19

Photosensitisation

Answer 19

Phylloerythrim: photodynamic agent formed by bacteria in the gut, absorbed, conjugated and excreted by the liver

Liver dysfunction: increased levels of phylloerythrin

Exposure to UV liver causes cell membrane damage and necrosis
Lesions occur in areas of non-pigmented skin - UV light absorbed more efficiently - eyes and mouth

Question 20

Pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA) toxicity

Answer 20

Ragwort, Senecia spp
4-12w ingestion
Metabolised by liver - toxic pyrrole derivatives - antimitotic
Cells cannot divide -> megalocyte production -> megalocyte death -> fibrosis

Question 21

Theiller’s disease

Answer 21

Cause unknown - serum sickness, acute necrotic hepatitis

Question 22

Tooth resorption

Answer 22

Most common dental disease problems in cats (1/3)
Prevalence increases with age
Teeth attacked by odontoclasts - adhere to the surface of the root and form resorptive lacunae
Vascular granulation tissue fills the lesion and may be replaced by bone and cementum like tissue