Health Flashcards
What are the steps to a physical examination of the cow?
Tail end (BCS, HR, T, MM, faeces) Left side (rumen, ping) Right side Head & neck (salivation, oral cavity) Tail end again (milk & rectal) Then do limbs, joints, feet etc.
List some methods of examining the cows GIT tract.
Visual Palpate Percussion Ballottement Auscultate Rectal Stomach tube Rumenocentesis Exploratory laparotomy
What are risk factors for a displaced abdomen?
After pregnancy space
Stretched omentum
Low food intake
Gases trapped
What is left displaced abomasum?
Enlarged abomasum with fluid/gas accumulation gets displaced from right to left.
What are the risk factors and clinical signs of an LDA?
Risk factors - high producing dairy cows, high grain feeding
Clinical signs: weight loss, low milk, disinterest, low rumen contractions, ketosis, soft faeces, ping, can’t palpate on rectal, soft faeces
You hear a left sided ping during cow clinical examination. What could this indicate?
LDA
Atonic rumen
Pneumoperitoneum
Air in uterus
Differentiate by tube, rectal or fluid aspiration
How do you correct LDA?
Rolling cow
Open procedure (R Paralumbar fossa omentopexy or R Paramedian abomasopexy)
Need supportive care (Ca, fluids, NSAIDs, antibiotics)
How do you diagnose a right displaced abomasum?
Ping with percussion and auscultation + fluid splashing sounds.
What causes a right side ping? **
RDA, coiled colon, intussusception, dilatation & volvolus, colon distension, pneumoperitoneum.
How do you correct an RDA?
Medical treatment (spasmolytic, Ca, caffeine) Surgical intervention (Right omentoplexy with inverted L block 2% lignocaine)
How do you perform a right omentopexy?
Inverted L block with 2% lignocaine and 12mL flunixin analgesia.
Stitch 3 layers - peritoneum, abdominal m, external abdominal muscles, skin.
Give oxytetracycline, oral fluids
How do you identify a RDA (Right displaced abomasum)?
Pain, black faeces, large ping area, die with 48-96hours, abomasum is very dark.
What are the four types of abosomal ulceration?
Erosions/nonperforating ulcers
Ulcers with haemorrhage
Ulcers with peritonitis
Ulcers with septic peritonitis
What cows usually get abosomal ulceration?
Fibrous diet
High producing cows
What do you think when a calf has right side abdominal distension?
RDA Volvolus Bloat Intussusception Intestinal torsion
What is simple indigestion?
Change in food type or oral antibiotics causing upset gut flora.
Give uncomplicated feed like hay to fix.
Compare primary and secondary bloat.
Primary - pasture bloat can’t get rid of gas but no obstruction (froth can’t let go of gas)
Secondary - accumulate free gas in rumen more obstructive
More than one animal big distended paralumbar fossa. Increased contractions, get bloat line on post mortem on oesophagus. What are you thinking?
Primary bloat.
Frothy/pasture bloat. Can’t get rid of gas through the froth.
Impossible for cow to eruptate.
Stab between ribs & tuber coxae at point of most distension.
Treat by removing pasture, anti-foaming agents
How do you diagnose bloat?
Try to pass stomach tube to diagnose - strictures, lesions, actual obstruction check for gas coming out.
What happens if you pass tube easily and get no gas back?
Frothy bloat.
What is ruminal acidosis?
Ingestion of carbohydrate risk food.
Risk factors are low feed exposure, low NDF, fermentation rate.
What is SARA?
Subacute ruminal acidosis
What is normal rumen pH?
> 5.9
What is peracute rumen acidosis?
What is the risk of peracute rumen acidosis?
No feed exposure
Reduced NDF
Rate of fermentation
How do you treat peracute rumen acidosis?
Alkalinising agent
Free access grass hay
Rumen lavage
Describe SARA.
Subacute rumen acidosis.
Early lactation, low pH, diarrhoea, low milk, high lameness.
Do rumenocentesis.
What are herd signs of SARA?
Diarrhoea
Low milk fat
Cud chewing decreased
Lameness
How do diagnose of SARA?
Rumenocentesis
How do you prevent SARA?
Gradual adaption carb feeds
Good NDF
What is vagus indigestion?
Impairment of the flow (reticulomotility).
Get L shaped rumen.
Often caused by peritonitis, liver abscess, tumours etc.
Ingesta can’t exit stomach so it gets frothy.
What condition produces an L shaped rumen?
Vagus indigestion
What are the common important intestinal disorders of cows?
Bloat SARA Simple indigestion LDA RDA Peritonitis Vagus indigestion
What is the most common type of colic in dairy cattle?
Spasmodic colic.
Spontaneous recovery but severe signs give a spasmolytic like Buscopan.
When do you get cattle colic?
Bloat, acute rumen acidosis, volvolus, intussusception
What do hear when you have a intussusception?
Fluid splashing, inappetance and empty rectum
Where do intestinal phytobezoars commonly lodge and occur?
Very fibrous diets.
Lodge in abomasum and pylorus.
Get yellow mayonnaise faeces.
What is a common issue of caecum in cattle?
Volvolus, torsion & dilatation.
From hypomotility, low pH, fluid & gas acc.
High producing dairy cows and get ping.
Use good quality hay, coffee oil oral, Ca borogluconate, analgesia, drain the caecum.
What do you see with traumatic reitculpericarditis?
Muffled heart sounds Fever High HR & RR Anorexia Constipation Distended jugular.
Dull cow with watery foul diarrhoea. Calved in mid November a year ago. Off milk for 24 hours and has sunken eyes. What is your approach and any diagnostic tests you would perform?
Give fresh water with electrolytes and plain hay.
Antibiotics indicated due to diarrhoea - TMS.
Check abdomen symmetry, rumen contractions, pings, lymph nodes and rectal examination.
In the dull cow case adhesions were felt on rectal exam, what does this lead you to think?
Adhesions on rectal indicate peritonitis - everything sticks together due to fibrin present. Do abdominocentesis to confirm.
What does adhesions on rectal exam and straw coloured fluid on abdominocentesis indicate?
Peritonitis
What are some common causes of peritonitis in cattle?
TRP Abomasal ulcer perforation Rumenitis Metritis, dystocia, uterine rupture Penetrating wounds
How can peritonitis as sequale to caesarean be avoided?
Ensuring tight suture pattern
What are the different classifications of peritonitis?
Peracute
Acute
Chronic
Localised/diffuse
What would be the HR of a cow with:
a. localised peritonitis
b. acute diffuse peritonitis
c. peracute diffuse peritonitis
d. chronic peritonitis
a. Normal HR
b. 120
c. 80
d. Normal
How do you differentiate between the types of peritonitis?
Peracute - toxaemia, depressed, anorexia, drop milk, increase HR
Acute- reduced appetitie, fever, shallow respiration, reduce rumen contractions, reluctance to move, reduced faeces, fibrin.
Chronic - severe weight loss, tucked up, weak rumen contractions, diarrhoea, distended abdomen
Localised - pain on deep palpation, positive grunt test
What’s your prognosis for a localised peritonitis?
Okay with prompt aggressive treatment.
Treat with confinement, broad spectrum antibiotics, euthanasia and slaughter.
What is jejunal haemorrhage syndrome?
Massive haemorrhage in jejunum causing obstruction with blood clots.
Unknown cause maybe Clostridium.
Normal then sick - anorexia, drop in milk, dark bloody faeces.
Do enterotomy, massage, NSAIDs & penicillin.
What are the 8 steps to examine a lame cow?
Distance observation Swollen/painful legs External claw surfaces Lift legs and clean and check interdigital space Sand back superficial sole surface Check white line Hoof testers Check upper limb
How do you tell which leg is lame?
Head up indicates forelimb
Head down is the hindlimb
Where are most lesions causing lameness in cow?
Most lesions in claws
What is footrot?
Interdigital necrobacillus.
Mostly Fusobacterium.
Necrotising infection of skin and deeper soft tissue interdigital space.
You find a fleshy growth between the claws of a cow, what do you suspect?
Interdigital fibroma.
Just remove it with nerve block.
What is digital dermatitis?
Mild superficial infection that’s contagious, foul smelling and moist and red. Can become chronic proliferative and wart like.
How do we classify digital dermatitis?
MO-M4 lesion classification. M0 is health and then M4 is chronic.
Prevent with foot baths, topical oxytetracycline, good hygiene.
Why do you get a thin sole claw lesion?
Excessive wear more in pasture fed cattle (long distance walking, concrete, moisture, heifers, nutrition)
Describe bruised soles.
Usually thin soles aseptic traumatic pododermatitis.
Front claws in heifers, hind claws in cows. Use block or cow slip to rest the affected claw.
Compare sole abscess and white line disease.
Sole abscess- sole and wall seperates usually puncture wound. Get sliding foot, pain, fast onset.
White line disease- haemorrhage/abscess on white line. Tracking infection, very lame.
How would you treat most foot lesions?
If abscess release pus, flush and put on block/cow slip.
Mostly grind it back and put on a block.
Don’t bandage.
How do you diagnose and treat a sole ulcer?
Pododermatitis circumspicta.
1cm raw lesions concealed under horn layer at sole-heel junction.
From excessive pressure get defect and severe lameness.
Usually high producing dairy cows, laminitis and claw overgrowth.
Treat with concave sole, remove tissue, use block/cowslip and antibiotics.
How do you treat the following:
a. Vertical fissure
b. Horiztonal fissure
c. Septic arthritis
d. Laminitis
a. ‘Sandcracks’. Trim out cracks.
b. Grind all detached away
c. Amputate/slaughter
d. NSAIDS, claw trimming, prevent SARA.
What’s the difference between acute, chronic and subclinical laminitis?
Acute - CHO overload, pain, redness, distended veins
Chronic - deformed claws, grooves/ridges, toes are up
Subclinical- chronic poor quality hooves, haemorrhages, associated with SARA.
What occurs due to a circulation disturbance of the corium?
Laminitis
How do you examine the cow for upper limb lameness?
Watch walking, touch interdigital space, lift foot look at lesion, upper limb won’t lift and flex, feel joints, look at claws.
When does hip dislocation occur?
Parturition and early lactation where cows slip, fall, knocked down.
How can you confirm hip dislocation?
Deep palpation, dragging hindlimb.
Fix it with traction on a heavily sedated cow
When are you most likely to get sacro-iliac luxation?
Dystocia or milk fever. Get drooped back and pronounced tuber coxae.
What do you see with upward patella fixaton?
Patella fixed on upper femoral trochlear.
Jerky walk with leg stuck in extension.
How do you fix an upward patella fixation?
Sedate and do medial patella desmotomy.
What is a common cause of upper limb lameness caused by trauma?
Femoro-tibial / stifle instability. .
Ligament ruptures
When do you get septic arthritis?
From joint penetration, cellulitis, polyarthritis.
Get lame, recumbant, swelling, heat, pain, fever, muscle atrophy.
How do you treat septic arthritis?
Penicillin, NSAIDs, amoxicillin.
Maybe do joint lavage to remove exudate.
What is the difference between spastic syndrome and spastic paresis?
Spastic syndrome - crampyness, intermittent hindlimb contraction
Spastic paresis - affects hindlimbs 3-5m old, get excess gastrocnemius tone & contraction.
What is the brachial plexus composed of? What happens if you paralysis the nerve plexus?
Radial, ulnar and musculocutaneous nerves.
Get forelimb muscle paralysis.
What indicates a cow has radial nerve paralysis?
Recumbancy for long time on hard surfaces and blunt trauma.
Explain the grading system of sciatic nerve paralysis.
Grade 1- loss of motor function full pastern sensation
Grade 2- Loss function, loss sensation to pastern
Grade 3- Loss sensation tibial nerve no superficial sensation
Grade 4- Loss deep pain reflex no sensation.
What does the sciatic nerve innervate?
Flexing muscles of stifle, extend hock, flex/extend digits
What do you visually see with sciatic nerve paralysis?
See the cow in crouch position.
When do you get sciatic nerve paralysis?
During dystocia, injections/compression.
What does the femoral nerve innervate?
Quadriceps, psoas major and medial hindlimb skin sensation.
Explain grading system for femoral n. paralysis?
Grade
1- legs go out stand and walk normally
2- no patella reflex, legs behind when trying to stand
3- no patella reflex, can’t support weight
4- frog leg sitting
When do you get recumbency from excessive traction during dystocia and birth?
Femoral nerve paralysis.
What occurs with obturator nerve paralysis?
Common with dystocia or problem births. Get adduction paralysis so the cow ends up laying spread legged and can’t stand up.
How do you differentiate peroneal and tibial nerve paralysis?
Peroneal - knuckling fetlock and hock is extended
Tibial - dropped stifle and overflexed hock.
What are the major risk factors for lameness?
Cow comfort
Nutrition
Cow factors (age, lactation, genetics)
Environment
What is the ideal track for cows to walk?
Short
What changes would you issue to a seasonal herd that is struggling with reproduction and reaching their calf goals?
Induce earlier Home from agistment earlier Aggressive non-cycling treatment Better heat detection Earlier pregnancy testing Use Kamars Mate heifers earlier
What is your major differential diagnosis for diarrhoea?
Enteritis or other syndrome (think parasites, RS heart failure, peracute mastitis).
What are the three things you always should think about when looking at diarrhoea cases?
Acute or chronic
Age group
Sporadic or outbreak
You have young animal acute diarrhoea outbreak. What are your differentials?
Salmonella Coccidiosis Nematodes Iatrogenic BVD Nutrition
How would you state the pathogen name and disease name for a salmonella infection?
Pathogen = Salmonella Disease = Salmonellosis
Why does diarrhoea cause dehydration?
Loss of fluids.
Malabsorption diarrhoea causes dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and acid-base imbalance.
What signs other than diarrhoea will you get with infectious enteritis?
Weight loss Dehydration Abortion Low production Pyrexia
Where do you look to see if animal is not eating?
Paralumbar fossa will be sunken
What is the most common cause of acute diarrhoea?
Salmonellosis - S. typhimurium is most common but not host specific
Why does Salmonella infect so many cattle successfully?
Stays in environment for years.
Can become carriers in mesenteric LN, gall bladder, bile ducts.
Low immunity increases risk of infection.
What is the major organ that Salmonella harbours in when cow becomes a carrier?
Mesenteric lymph nodes
Also in gall bladder & bile ducts
Why does salmonella commonly affect cows at parturition?
Stress, low appetite, eating less.
How does supplementation with dexamethasone or magnesium oxide increase the risk of Salmonella infection?
Dexamethasone - lowers immunity usually given at parturition
Magnesium oxide- increases rumen pH and Salmonella thrives in alkaline environment
What are classical signs of Salmonella infection?
Acute diarrhoea (bloody, fibrin cast)
Drop in milk production
Rapid weight loss
How do you diagnose salmonellosis?
Culture
Swab intestine/gall bladder
Mesenteric lymph node sample
How do you treat salmonellosis and why?
Treat with TMPS/oxytetracycline antibiotics that target gram negative Salmonella.
Flunixin to kill endotoxins that are released when bacteria are killed.
Oral water and saline
Good colostrum management for calves (2-4L repeat in 24 hours)
Vaccinate mature animals before calving
What is your dose rate for hypertonic saline given orally for Salmonella treatment?
For 500kg cow give 25-40L.
What is the pathogen causing enteric yersinosis?
Yersinia pseudotuberculosis
A normal gut pathogen
What is the cause and risk factors for yersinosis infection?
Weather, food changes, changes
Faecal-oral infection
How do you treat yersinosis and what are your major differentials?
Treat with oxytetracycline and fluids.
DDx: Salmonella, parasites, coccidiosis, NOT E.COLI
What is Johne’s disease?
Paratuberculosis.
Chronic wasting disease of cattle.
Only in adults clinical signs >4 years.
How is Johne’s transmitted and how would you manage a case?
Transmission via faecal oral, colostrum, water, semen, respiratory (LOTS of routes!!) in
What is characteristic of Johne’s disease diarrhoea?
Hose pipe diarrhoea
Thick pea soup, no effort required, no smell/fibrin or blood.
How do you diagnose Johne’s disease?
PCR is faster and better but needs to be shedding
Culture takes too long
ELISA
What are your major differential diagnoses for Johne’s disease?
Salmonella, Yersinia, Hypoalbuminaemia, Lymphosarcoma, Renal amyloidosis
How widespread is bovine viral diarrhoea in Australia?
Very widespread (90% herds exposed) Type 1 affects cattle in Australia.
What happens if the cow gets infected with BVD in early gestation?
Abortion
How do calves become persistently infected with BVD?
Infection 45-120 days of gestation.
They will be antibody negative and antigen positive.
What is mucousal disease?
Cytopathic strain of BVD.
Get big head, small body, erosive lesions.
How will you diagnose mucousal disease?
ELISA (ear notch)
PCR (need viraemia)
Post mortem - spleen (virus concentrates here), thickened small intestine (necrotic membrane)
What is your main DDx for BVD?
Malignant catarrhal fever (Mucousal disease)
What will you see with a cow infected with malignant catarrhal fever?
In head/eye form (most common).
Bilateral blue eyes, nasal discharge, erosive nose, 41 degree fever, generalised lymphodenopathy.
How do you diagnose head/eye form of malignant catarrheal fever?
41 degree + fever
Brain histopathology necrotising vasculitis
Generalised lymphadenopathy
Clinical signs
How will you treat BVD?
Untreatable animal will die just cull.
What are the parasite species that cause parasitic gastroenteritis for the following locations:
a. Tropics
b. Temperate
Tropics - Haemonchus placei, Cooperia, Oesophagostomum, Bunostomum
Temperate- Ostertagia, Trichostrongylus, Cooperia
What are the clinical signs of parasitic gastroenteritis?
Watery diarrhoea Older animals (yearlings) Low appetitie Poor coats Weight loss
How do you diagnose parasitic gastroenteritis?
Faecal egg counts
Plasma pepsinogen
Morocoo leather abomasum
How will you control parasitic gastroenteritis?
Anthelmintics at 3-4 week intervals but only get immunity after second year because of not enough exposure (too short intervals, parasite not yet infected)
What is enteric coccidiosis?
Eimeria zuernii and Eimeria bovis
When does enteric coccidiosis occur and when will you get clinical signs?
Occurs from 4-12 weeks old.
Get clinical signs after the incubation period of 16-30 days (so only after 4 weeks old!)
High morbidity, acute death, blood in faeces.
What clinical signs do you see with coccidiosis?
Straining, tenesmus, faecal staining hindquarters*
What’s your choice of diagnostic method and control for enteric coccidiosis?
Diagnosis - egg counts, haemorrhagic enteritis (more oocysts in middle infection)
Control - Monensin & lasalocid*
How would you treat a confirmed case of enteric coccidiosis?
Sulphadimidine
Toltrazuril
Trimethoprim
How do cows get infected with Eimeria?
Ingestion of oocysts in contaminated feed
What are some causes of non-enteric diarrhoea?
Toxaemia, liver disorders, congestive heart failure, caudal VC syndrome, renal amyloidosis, lush grass
What are some deficiencies/toxicities causing diarrhoea?
Cu/Molybdenum Selenium Copper excess salt Nitrate/nitrite Plants
What is the calf diarrhoea complex?
Multifactorial disease complex usually composing of E. Coli, Salmonella, Rotavirus, Coronavirus, Cryptosporidium.
Describe risk factors for calf diarrhoea complex.
Failure of passive transfer (Ab in colostrum)
Poor hygiene, poor feeding routine, poor housing
Overcrowding
Poor management
In a beef operation the farm suffers from overcrowding, large herds, muddy conditions and poor paddock rotation. What does this immediately predispose the cattle too?
Get dirty udders and calves suckling
Infection risk for calf diarrhoea complex.
How does enterotoxigenic e. coli cause calf diarrhoea?
Adheres gut get fluid restriction.
No actual gut damage just very watery diarrhoea.
What causes neonatal colibacillosis?
Enterotoxigenic E. Coli
How does Salmonella cause calf diarrhoea?
S. Typhimurium.
No clinical signs until 8-10 days old you lose microvilli and get malabsorption.
What is the number one cause of calf diarrhoea?
Rotavirus
How do calves get infected with rotavirus? Why is every calf so susceptible?
Infection via dam or from environment.
So susceptible because of high shedding, it’s in environment and can be from mother.
Why does rotavirus cause such serious diarrhoea and take so long to heal?
Serious gut lining damage - complete stripping of villi.
Describe cryptosporidium causing calf diarrhoea.
C. parvum (small intestine) and C. muris (abomasum)
Zoonotic disease causing watery yellow diarrhoea.
Low mortality
Oocysts are directly infective. The calf can be infected and show clinical signs after 3-6 days.
How do assess dehydration? And how will you deal with it?
Sunken eyes, skin tenting, mucous membranes, extremity temperature.
Give milk & fluids 2-3 hours.
Give dextrose.
Calf has positive test for Salmonella and positive test for Rotavirus. What is the main issue here and what would you do?
Part of calf diarrhoea complex.
Rotavirus is more of an issue.
Give oral fluids and isolate affected animals.
What are the four main principles to control and prevent calf diarrhoea?
Good colostrum intake
Boost immunity
Reduce infectious agent
Good biosecurity
How do you examine the heart of a cow? What is normal heart rate and pulses?
HR newborn up to 120bpm. Adults 60-80bpm.
Normal pulse up to 1/3rd of neck and mucous membraes are normal (check the vulva). Do normal PAM heart beat check.
What are suggestive signs of CVS disease?
Depression, weight loss, oedema, jugular distention, heat murmur, cough, exercise intolerance.
Low numbers in herd EXCEPT monensin toxicity & FMD.
How does pericarditis cause diarrhoea?
Fluid builds up in pericardial sac, gut lining and mesentery. Get poor absorption causing diarrhoea.
Can you treat traumatic reticulopericarditis?
Not really but can prevent it.
What is normal fibrinogen and protein ratio? When and why?
Normal is >1.5 ratio.
Do this when you have traumatic reticulopericarditis.
What bacteria causes endocarditis?
Streptococcus or Trueperella.
Just cull there’s no treatment.
What is associated with congestive heart failure and what will you commonly see?
Pericarditis, vegetative, myocarditis, myocardial degeneration.
See right CHF more commonly get oedema, ascites, nutmeg liver.
What causes udder oedema?
Periparturient cattle multifactorial aetiology.
Prevent by milking before calving, diuretics, salt restriction.
What causes induced cardiomyopathy?
Se/Vit E deficiency (White muscle disease) or Cu deficiency (falling disease).
What is normal haemoglobin level in cow?
8-14 g/dL
What is normal PCV in cow?
24-40%
Why are dairy cows at risk of anaemia?
High metabolic load in early lactation.
Normal mucous membranes
P deficiency
Leptospirosis in calves.
Describe anaplasmosis.
Anaplasma marginale.
Tropical areas with cattle ticks (Rhipicephalus microplus).
Affects 2-4 year olds.
How does Anaplasma Marginale cause anaemia?
Infects erythrocytes that infect the spleen causing anaemia.
How do you diagnose anaplasmosis?
2-4 years old
Clinical signs - anaemia, fever, high HR, high RR, reticulocytes, anaplasma sits on edge of RBC
NO Haemoglobinuria.
A cow has been diagnosed with the tick transmitted disease anaplasmosis. What do you do?
Confirm the disease - RBC check.
Treat with tetracyclines or imidocarb.
What responses occur with bracken fern toxicity?
Acute, haemorrhagic or bovine enzootic haematuria.
DON’T get polioencephalomalacia.
Acute form most common.
Ptaquiloside toxin.
What will you see with acute bracken fern toxicity?
Requires high exposure over time.
High fever, bleeding disorders, haemorrhages, leukoaenia.
Diagnose with history, haemorrhages and clinical signs.
What are your major DDx for bracken fern toxicity?
Babesia, anaplasma, bovine emphemeral fever, lantana.
What is Cu required for physiologically and why do Cu deficiencies occur?
Cu needed for haemoglobin formation.
Low diet Cu or excess molybdenum/sulphur causes a Cu deficiency.
How does excess molybdenum or sulphur cause Cu deficiency?
Makes Cu insoluble and can’t be absorbed.
What is theileriosis?
Bush tick (Haemaphysalis) borne protozoa disease
What is the best treatment for theileriosis?
Leave cow alone - destress, less handling with high dose oxytetracycline treatment.
On day 1 calf had temperature of 41.6 degrees, 11 PCV and clear urine. On day 3 the temperature had decreased slightly to 39.5 degrees, 6 PCV and clear urine. Calf was given a blood transfusion but died with watery blood and pale carcass. what do you think?
Normal PCV = 24-40%
Calf probably had a blood borne infection. Theileria or Babesia.
Theileria more causes issues in young calves compared to Babesia.
Describe in detail how you would give a blood transfusion in cattle. **
Don’t cross match.
Close relative donor in good condition and healthy.
Usually 4-6L blood transfused
Jugular incision is easiest
Anticoagulant required
BV lactating cow 8% body weight - eg. 48L in 600kg cow
What is on your differential list for diseases with red urine?
Haemoglobinuria
Haematuria - occurs with pyelonephritis, cystitis, bovine catarrheal feverl, septicaemia, bracken fern toxicity.
Myoglobinuria
What is bovine enzootic haematuria?
Syndrome from bracken fern toxicity.
Mature cattle, small bleeding bladder tumours.
Slaughter them there is no treatment.
What causes haemoglobinuria?
Dark brown deep red urine.
From Lepto, Na poisoning, low P post-parturient, nutrition like onions/brassicas, facial eczema
Where would you sample for suspected copper toxicity?
Kidney cortex.
Liver.
Post mortem samples.
How do you treat cystitis and when does it commonly occur?
Common in heifers after calving.
Treat with procaine penicillin for 10 days.
What are the two types of babesia? How is it transmitted?
Babesia bovis (nervous signs) Babesia bigemina (less pathogenic) Transmission via tick - Rhipicephalus microplus.
What are the clinical signs of babesia infection?
B. bovis - cytokines, coagulation issues, brain/lung damage, high temperature.
B. bigemina - haemoglobinuria, rapid development
How do you diagnose or rule out a babesia infection?
Diagnose with PM brain smears look for the babesia inside red blood cells. Enlarged jam like spleen, gall bladder with thick bile, jaundice.
You will get neurological signs and very high temperature*
How would you treat babesia?
Imidocarb diproprionate (1.2mg/kg)
How do you examine the urinary tract?
Rectal examination
Urine from catheter - should be pH 7-9, check ketones
Blood/serum - check urea, creatinine.
Haematogenous/ascending
Which is a better urinary system indicator urea or creatinine?
Creatinine because it is not diet related.
Urea is diet affected and energy related
What does leptospirosis cause?
Get haemolytic crisis, chronic interstitial, mastitis & abortion.
Zoonosis
What are the main types of lepto?
L. borgpetersenii
L. interrogans
Why is lepto able to infect cattle so easily?
Cattle are maintenance hosts (cow-cow infection)
Accidental hosts from other species
Survives long periods in moist environment
What are your common clinical signs of leptospirosis?
Fever, inappetance, haemolytic anaemia, mastitis, jaundice, liver failure, mastitis, abortion.
What are you aiming to do and how would you do it when treating leptospirosis?
Want to reduce shedding.
Treat tetracyclines, amoxicillin, cephalosporin.
Vaccinate at young age.
What is contagious bovine pyelonephritis?
Chronic purulent inflammation of bladder and kidneys
caused by Corynebacterium renale.
Get pus/blood in urine.
Treat with procaine penicillin.
What are the two main areas of metabolic disorders?
Energy/protein
Ca/Mg/P nutrition
How do you monitor changes in energy balance?
Energy balance directly correlated to serum concentration of fatty acids (released when negative energy balance).
Why do dry cows get affected by metabolic imbalance?
3 weeks within calving and within 3 weeks of calving get dried out.
So you get reduced DMI, compromised immune function because low glucose and high fatty acids.
What are the main goals for nutrition in transitional period??
Increase feed intake Maximise immune function Decrease body fat Maintain calcium Maximise appetite
How does protein: energy malnutrition occur?
Usually during last trimester of pregnancy from oversized foetus.
Get ketones from lipid catabolism and decrease muscle and puberty from protein catabolism.
How do you deal with protein energy malnutrition?
High metabolisable energy and crude protein diet.
Oral glucose
Nursing
What is pregnancy toxaemia?
Form of hepatic lipidosis.
Fat cows in late gestation with poor diet.
Energy deficient diet.
Dull anorexic, ketonuria, yellow faeces, aggression, nervous signs.
How do you diagnose and treat pregnancy toxaemia?
Diagnose - elevated liver enzymes, gross enlarged liver.
Treat with IV dextrose, IM steroid injections, emergency caesarean.
What causes fat cow syndrome?
Overfeeding in late lactation (overconditioning).
Up to 25% mortality rate.
Depression, inappetance, weakness
How do you diagnose a fatty liver? How do you treat it?
Diagnose - serum NEFA, liver biopsy stained red oil (fatty infiltration)
Treatment - dextrose IV, zinc insulin, tube feeding, antibiotic
Why does ketosis/acetonaemia occur?
High yielding dairy cows
Inadequate energy supply so you get protein and fat mobilised and catabolised.
Primary - early lactation can’t eat enough energy
Secondary- disease reduces appetite & food intake
What is the main ketone produced in ketosis?
betaOHB (bOHB)
Define the following be brief:
a. Parturient hypocalcaemia
b. Milk fever
c. Subclinical hypocalcaemia
d. Non-parturient hypocalcaemia
a. Immediately post partum - paresis & hypocalcaemia
b. High BCS, older, high producing dairy cows
c. Last 1-2 days in lactation get Ca cycling
d. Recumbent cows,
What predisposes to milk fever?
High BCS old high producing dairy cows.
Alkalosis
What reduces calcium absorption?
High potassium
High nitrogen in rumen
Low phosphorus.
What are the stages of hypocalcaemia?
Stage 1- 12-24 hrs. Aggression, teeth grinding, tetany.
Stage 2- sternal recumbency. Depressd, dry muzzle, cold extremities
Stage 3- lateral recumbency. Coma & death.
What are some complications of hypocalcaemia?
Uterine inertia, uterus prolapse, nerve paralysis
How do you diagnose and treat hypocalcaemia?
Diagnose - Ca levels and P levels.
Treatment - move into sternal recumbency, Ca borogluconate IV slowly.
Control by moving on less green pasture, increasing fibre, incraase Ca absorption.
What is dietary cation-anion difference?
Na, K, S & Cl it is used to manipulate milk fever diet.
Want to reduce the DCAD by increase quality pasture, decrease potassium cereal feeds.
What is hypomagnesaemia?
Common calved beef cows (not Mg supplemented).
Often caused by increase K that stops Mg absorption.
Acute form - emergency
Chronic - pale mm (anaemia)
Clinical signs, bloods and urine/serum Mg concentrations are all used to diagnose what condition?
Hypomagnesaemia
Why does hypomagnesaemia commonly occur?
Poor supplementation and management
No prevention
Too much potassium
No Mg reserve (need continuous intake)
When do cows get osteomalacia?
Lactating cows with P deficiency.
High Ca, Fe and Al exacerbates P deficiency.
What is a downer cow?
Periparturient cow in sternal recumbency.
Secondary musculoskeletal/tissue effects
Normal faeces & urination
Looks completely normal and eats but just can’t get up.
How do you diagnose and treat a downer cow?
Diagnose - clinical exam, AST/CK, hip clamps
Treat- good husbandry, put pulleys on and lift the cow when needed
Good prognosis for alert cows
