Intestinal Disease Flashcards
What organs can the ultrasound be useful in scanning in cattle?
majority of the small intestine
What is the goal of a CBC in cattle?
- Look for differentiating variables of Sx vs Med lesions
- Clinical exam pointing to GI origin Disease
- Examples:
- Severe leukopenia with degenerative left shift make enterotoxemia a top DDx
- WBC 12,000 /ul 5% bands ⇢ obstruction? localized peritonitis?
- WBC 3,000/ul 30% bands ⇢ Salmonella / Enterotoxemia
- Anemia and hypoproteinemia in a Holstein cow with melena makes bleeding abomasal ulcer a top DDx
- Anemia, leukocytosis and hyperproteinemia?
- need to differentiate Protein contribution to elevation (fibrinogen fraction vs globulins)
- Severe leukopenia with degenerative left shift make enterotoxemia a top DDx
- Examples:
What is the Goal of Chemistry tests in cattle?
- Downer Syndrome
- Organ Failure/insult
- Electrolytes consistent with intestinal/forestomach obstruction
- HypoCL, HypoK, metabolic alkalosis
- consistent w/ Upper SI/abomasum lesions
- Obstruction/Displacement
- HypoCL, HypoK, acidosis or normal pH
- Suggestive of “indigestion”
- Or severe intestinal disease/obstruction (necrotic bowel)
- Hyponatremia, HypoCl, normal pH
- How long? how severe diarrhea?
- HypoCL, HypoK, metabolic alkalosis
How should serum samples from cattle be handled?
- Clot at room temp and remove serum (30 min)
- Refrigerate up to 36hr / freeze for several days
What can an Albumin to Globulin ratio (A:G) tell you in cattle?
- Less than 0.85 may indicate chronic inflammation
What does Sorbitol Dehydrogenase (SDH) indicate?
liver injury
What does GGT indicate in cattle?
- Cholestasis instead of injury
- great indicator of colostrum intake in calves
What does Creatinine Kinase indicate in ruminants?
- More useful for renal disease than BUN
- Prognostic enzyme in down animals
How is Fibrinogen measured in cattle?
- Heat precipitate from plasma and measure difference of TP between samples
- Normal should be less than 500 grams
- Coffee cup method: 130F water for 3 minutes
- Difference between TP measurements is estimated fibrinogen
- EX:
- initial TP 9.5 on refractometer
- Post-heat treatment is 8
- estimated fibrinogen is ~1.5g
OBJ: What are the expected CBC findings for a patient with enterotoxemia?
Neutropenia/lymphopenia
Hyperproteinemia
OBJ: What are the expected CBC findings for a cow with hardware disease?
Mature Neutrophilia, possibly left shift
Hyperproteinemia
OBJ: What are serum chemistry expectations for Gastro(abomasal)-intestinal obstruction?
- CBC may vary depending on duration and process
- pH (alkalosis)
- hypochloremic
- If a distal lesion - takes a while to develop
- If an adult with suspected intestinal obstruction is acidotic - poor prognosis and often indicates necrotic bowel
OBJ: What are the serum chemistry expectations for a neonatal calf with diarrhea?
- CBC is variable
- pH (acidotic)
- hyponatremic, but may be hypochloremic
- Hypoproteinemia may indicate passive transfer issues
OBJ: What are the serum chemistry expectations for a Johne’s patient?
- pH tends to remain on the alkalosis side despite profuse waery diarrhea
- Chloride will drop, as well as sodium
- Often Panhypoproteinemic
What structures can we readily ultrasound in cattle to assist in diagnosis of abdominal disease?
small intestine
What does elevated fibrinogen indicate? How can we measure without submission to the lab?
- indicates inflammatory condition
- peritonitis, endocarditis, pneumonia, nephritis, etc
- “coffee cup” method - 130F water for 3 minutes
What parameters do we measure with rumen fluid analysis?
- pH
- protozoa
- bacteria (New Methylene Blue)
- Chloride
What is the methylene Blue Reduction test?
- evaluates for protazoa
- Place 10 ml of rumen fluid into a blood tube
- Add 0.5 ml of 0.04% methylene blue to the tube and invert several times for mixing
- Record the time needed to return the sample to its original color
What does a CSF cytology look for in cattle?
indications of meningeal worms
