Principles of Diagnostics

Question 1

What are the components of a diagnostic plan?

Answer 1

History, signalment, physical exam, rule out list, treatment plan and follow up

Question 2

What are some things that should be investigated druing a herd level diagnostic plan?

Answer 2

History of past problems on farm, signalment of owners, management, facilities, physical exam of affected (how many, time line, severity), rule out list, treatment plan and follow up

Question 3

What is a critical question for examination of a sick dairy cow?

Answer 3

How many days in milk? Feed intake? Milk production? Previous issues? Treatments?

Question 4

What is the acronym to remember what to examine in a sick dairy cow?

Answer 4

L- Lungs
U - Uterus
M - Metabolic
M - Mammary
A - Abomasum
R - Rumen

Question 5

Most of the cow is built like a tank…except what organ?

Answer 5

Lungs

Question 6

Where in the cows production cycle is the uterus the biggest worry for pathology?

Answer 6

First 2 weeks postpartum (Day 3-17)

Question 7

What is the most common disease of the mammary gland? Is it normally local or systemic?

Answer 7

Mastitis, normally local but really bad if systemic

Question 8

What is the most common metabolic disease of dairy cattle and when does it most commonly occur?

Answer 8

Hypocalcemia, first 24 hours after birth

Question 9

What is another common metabolic disease but it causes disease at peak lactation? (Nervous signs)

Answer 9

Ketosis (Usually secondary to another issue)

Question 10

What is another metabolic disease that’s signs include cows being off feed, down in milk, diarrhea and decreased rumen motility? Relates to diet.

Answer 10

Acidosis

Question 11

What can happen to the abomasum? (Hint: directions it goes)

Answer 11

RDA, LDA, RTA

Question 12

What does mastitis look like when it is:
Subclinical
Local
Systemically Ill

Answer 12

Subclinical: Normal cow with increased SCC
Local: Abnormal milk, normal cow
Systemically Ill: Abnormal cow and milk (Fever, dehydration, depression)

Question 13

What bacteria typically causes toxic mastitis?

Answer 13

Coliforms: E. Coli and Klebsiella (Rod shaped gram negative bacteria) or environmental pathogens

Question 14

What does a clinical mastitis present like?

Answer 14

Depressed, >50% reduction in milk, 8-10% dehydrated, hard swollen quarter, watery milk

Question 15

Why may you have a lack of treatment success when treating an animal?

Answer 15

Super bug, slow detection of disease or bad treatment protocol

Question 16

How do you know if you have a “super bug”?

Answer 16

Diagnosis of exclusion

Culture and Sensitivity/Susceptibility (poor correlation to super bug cause just tell you what not to use and not specific to site

Question 17

What do you do if you have a super bug?

Answer 17

Culture and sensitivity to try to find something to treat it with

Question 18

How do you determine if disease isnt being caught fast enough?

Answer 18

Look at the data - ex. milk weights by day for mastitis (hard cause blame people)

Question 19

How do you treat coliform mastitis?

Answer 19

Fluids:
Hypertonic saline IV 2-3ml/lb
Oral fluids 10 Gallon

Antibiotics: 3 days
Oxytertacyclien 10mg/lb IV, Sulfadiamethoxine (Albon), Ceftiofur

NSAID:
Flunixing 2ml/100lbs IV

Question 20

What is the treatment plan for a down ewe with hypocalcemia 7 days after birth?

Answer 20

120cc CalDex#2 IV - hypocalcemia
2cc vit B complex IV
4mg Dexamethasone IV - ketosis
2oz Propylene Glycol PO - Ketosis
60cc Ca gluconate SQ

Question 21

When you are observing an animal from afar, what are you watching for?

Answer 21

Cud chewing, eating, respiratory rate, general attitude

Question 22

What percent of cows with peritonitis dont have a fever?

Answer 22

50%

Question 23

What can cause a temp to be lower than normal?

Answer 23

Hypocalcemia or coliform mastitis

Question 24

What is an empty paralumbar fossa an indication of?

Answer 24

Being off feed

Question 25

Are there any normal pings on the left side?

Answer 25

no, classic ping area is right over the last few ribs even with paralumbar fossa - may have a rumen void in the top of the paralumbar fossa itself

Question 26

On the left side of the cow, right below the spine you hear a ping, what is it?

Answer 26

Free abdominal gas (peritonitis or recent surgery) - careful cause can superimpose over rumen area

Question 27

What is the lung field on a cow?

Answer 27

Point of elbow, up to shoulder and over to the 11th rib

Question 28

Where is a heart sound herd?

Answer 28

Under the point of the elbow

Question 29

How and where do you check hydration status of a cow?

Answer 29

Skin on neck, every second in 1% dehydrated, sunken eyes is >7%

Question 30

Where is the normal rumen ping on the right side of a cow?

Answer 30

In paralumbar fossa (spiral colon or cecum), not consistet and no bigger than a hand

Question 31

Where do you hear an RDA or RTA?

Answer 31

Covers 3-4 ribs, ping very prominent and consistent, 25-50% palpable per rectum

Cecal torsion on right side can be herd.

Question 32

When assessing manure what are you looking for?

Answer 32

Consistency
Bubbles and Diarrhea - acidosis
Stiff and undigested - Chronic LDA
Liquid - Scours or LDA
Big fiber chunks - rumen not working right

Question 33

What is normal and abnormal for rectal palpation of repro tract or palpation in vulva?

Answer 33

Normal: clear mucus
Abnormal: Fetid, odor, watery and reddish black

Usually just came into milk (metritis)

Question 34

What are some fresh cow diseases?

Answer 34

Mastitis, Metritis (RFM), Hypocalcemia, LDA, peritonitis, ketosis