PastQ Flashcards
Record the identification data and the general impression of the horse:
ID: breed, sex, height, age, markings, brands, microchip.
Can imprint chestnuts.
Can take hair for DNA sample
Determine the basic clinical values of the horse and evaluate the results.
Temp: 37.5 – 38. Adult Newborn 37.5-38.5 Pulse: 28-42 bpm. Facial, transverse facial, brachial, digital pulse Resp: 10-18 breaths
Induce coughing in the horse , describe the findings.
Horse – press larynx and/or tracheal rings close to larynx.
Hard to do. Cough is intensive, sharp, high, short, dry, painless, with snap, which does not reoccur
Describe the findings of thoracic auscultation (heart, lung) in the horse.
Auscultation – mainly indirect (also direct):
Lungs - Front to back. From up to down.
In each third of the thorax. In a quiet environment.
At least 5 places put stethoscope.
Can say hear ‘normal respiratory sounds’.
Soft inspiration, weak expiration
Practical says start from 3-6 intercostal space as most problems here.
Describe the findings of thoracic percussion in the horse.
Normal sounds of thorax:
Medium and large animals – 40-500kg – sharp, short, low – resonant/non resonant.
Heart is dull – short sound with low intensity.
Behind caudal border of the heart and before diaphragm is diernhofer triangle – will disappear if there is fluid in ventral thoracic cavity.
Pull leg forward to do percussion – left 2-6 space, right 3-5. Absolute and relative dullness over heart.
Order is from back to front and up to down.
Lung borders of horse
Lung borders: (Tuber coxae, tuber ischiadicum, point of shoulder)
Horse – 16, 14, 10
Describe the findings of the lower respiratory system in horse.
Trachea to lungs. Normal respiratory sounds. Use 3 points on trachea to auscultate. Heave line if more abdominal breathing (instead of costal abdominal)
Grading of heart murmurs (horses prone so watch out for this!!!)
-Grade 1 – very soft – only hear after a few seconds in a quiet room.
- Grade 2 – very soft but easily heard directly on auscultation.
- Grade 3 – moderate intensity with good audibility.
- Grade 4 – loud murmur, good audibility but no precordial thrill (fremitus).
- Grade 5 – very loud murmur with precordial thrill,
- Grade 6 – loudest murmur – can hear with stethoscope lifted from chest wall.
Find puncta maxima of murmur.
Evaluate the electrocardiogram of the horse.
Leads at centre of chest, girth area (ventrally), centre of forehead and lastly at withers
ECG in a horse is for heart rate only due to the arrangement of the purjkinje fibres. Generally
just used for arrhythmias. Can use radio-telemetry so no leads. Frontal axis is not determined.
If atrial fibrillation get very small complex (looks very different anyway - is all upside down).
Abnormality in slides was 2 nd degree AV block.
Demonstrate the methods of opening the mouth of the horse and describe the findings.
Use space between teeth on lower jaw – use finger to press gum and can grasp tongue and
keep out of corner of mouth. Can only see teeth, tongue, mucus membranes, hard and soft
palate. Cannot see larynx, pharynx, epiglottis etc. – need laryngoscope to examine properly.
Examine the oral and the pharyngeal cavity of the horse and describe the findings.
Horse has 40-42 teeth depending on sex. I3C1P3M3 (top and bottom)
Male horses and some females have an extra tooth – the wolf tooth on the upper jaw.
Perform rectal examination in the horse and describe the findings.
-Use glove with lubricant (obstetric or paraffin oil) and a cone shaped hand, introduced slowly and gently with a gliding, drilling movement.
Wash area of rectum free of faeces. Tie up/bandage tail
- Relaxant (buscopan) can be used. Careful with horses competing.
- May need restraint such as stocks or a twitch/lift leg
-Usually do a rectal exam when horse has colic. Therefore need to know strength of pain, so not so good to give painkillers. Can give xylazine if have to as only 30
minute duration of action (better than metdetomidine).
Also do rectal exam inpregnancy, urogenital problems etc.
-Always get permission from owner for a rectal exam as it is possible to cause a rupture.
Can you palpate the right ventral colon with rectal examination?
no
Can you palpate ileum with rectal examination?
Can palpate ileum if distended and impacted. Is in middle of abdominal cavity. Caecum is in the middle of the upper right of the abdominal cavity.
Can you palpate duodenum and jejunum with rectal examination?
No
