Neuro - bovine Flashcards
How do you do a neuro exam on a cow?
General first - TPR, hydration status, rumen function
Cranial nerve deficits
Peripheral nerve deficits
Biochem/haem
What tests do you do to determine cranial nerve function?
Facial asymmetry/loss of sensation
Menace response
Pupillary light reflex
Palpebral reflex
Nystagmus
Strabosmus
Lingual paralysis
Head tilt
What tests do you do to determine peripheral nerve function?
Sensation - pinch digits
Motor control - weight bearing
What are the 4 infectious diseases that cause neurological disorders in cows?
Listeriosis
BSE
Abscesses
Tetanus, botulism - Clostridial diseases
What traumatic disease can cause neurological disorders in cows?
Vertebral trauma
What metabolic diseases can cause neurological disorders in cows?
Ketosis
Hypomagnesaemia
Hypocalcaemia
What toxins can cause neurological disorders in cows?
Ragwort
Lead
Urea
Ryegrass staggers
What type of pathogen is listeria?
Gram positive facultative anaerobe
What causes listeriosis?
Spoiled feed - bad silage or soil in feed
Soil exposure
How does listeria cause neurological disease?
Listeria enters via oral mucosa, goes up trigeminal nerve to brain stem and causes meningoencephalitis
What are the signs of listeriosis?
Dull
Cranial nerve deficits -
Blindness
Head tilt/ear droop
Ptosis
Ptyalism
Normal prehension/mastication
Not circling/ataxic
How do you treat listeriosis?
NSAIDs
Systemic antibiotics - high dose penicillin essential
Nursing
What notifiable disease causes neuro signs in cows?
BSE
What are the signs of BSE?
Apprehension
Hyperaesthesia - kicking when milked
Hind limb motor deficits - ataxia
Change in temperament
Aggression
Compulsive licking
How do you diagnose/manage BSE?
Clinical signs/exclusion of other differentials
Contact APHA
Post mortem for definitive diagnosis