SA acute GI disease

Question 1

What are the difference in acute + chronic Vomiting + diarrhoea in SA?

Answer 1

*Acute = self limiting
*Chronic = requires specific diagnosis + treatment

Question 2

What are viral causes of diarrhoea in dogs?

Answer 2

Coronavirus + Rotavirus
*Unlikely distemper + parvo as vaccinated

Question 3

How can you treat acute GI problems?

Answer 3

*Usually self limiting
*Give easily digestible food + low fat - chicken + rice
*or starve - rest GI - Not young dogs (hypoglycaemia)

Question 4

If an animal with acute GI problems are dull what should you do?

Answer 4

*Blood tests
- Haematology (PCV, WBC)
- Biochemistry (liver enzymes + pancreas)
*Imaging - radiographs, ultrasound

Question 5

Where in the intestine problem is likely to see blood + mucus in diarrhoea?

Answer 5

*Large intestines
*SI = loads of watery faeces

Question 6

What are the categories of acute V+D?

Answer 6

*Non fatal / self-limiting
2 to extra-intestinal / systemic disease
*Severe potentially life threatening = enteric infection, AHDS/HGE, intestinal obstruction

Question 7

What can cause a self limiting acute diarrhoea?

Answer 7

*Parasites
*Dietary indiscretion
2 to pancreas, kidney + liver porblems or endocrine

Question 8

What are severe enteric infections?

Answer 8

*Parvovirus
*Bacterial
*Acute haemorrhagic diarrhoea syndrome / haemorrhagic gastroenteritis
*Surgical disease - intussuseption, volvulus, incarceration, stricture, foreign body

Question 9

What is the most important part of supportive tx?

Answer 9

*Prevent dehydration

Question 10

What is seen with large intestine diarrhoea?

Answer 10

*Normal to increased volume
*Frequent defecation
*Tenesmus - rectal cramping
*Blood + mucus
*No weight loss
*Whipworms + protozoa

Question 11

What is seen with small intestine diarrhoea?

Answer 11

*Large volume
*Normal frequency
*Weight loss

Question 12

What are the causes of acute gastritis other than inflammatory?

Answer 12

*Dietary indiscretion, garbage intoxications
*Foreign material
*Hairballs in cats
*Certain drugs
*acute systemic disease

Question 13

How do you diagnose diarrhoea cause?

Answer 13

*History
*Physical exam
*Minimum data base
*Imaging
*Response to Tx
*Reassess if persists for >48hrs

Question 14

What can be ruled out with imaging?

Answer 14

*Obstructions / other surgical Dz
*intussusception
*Foreign bodies

Question 15

How should a diarrhoea case be treated?

Answer 15

*Treat specific cause if identified
*Maintain hydration
*Reassess if persist for >48hrs

Question 16

What are licenced centrally acting anti-emetics?

Answer 16

*Maropitant
*Metoclopramide

Question 17

What are other anti-emetics (anticholinergics)?

Answer 17

*Atropine
*Methylscopolamine

Question 18

What are gastric mucosal protectants?

Answer 18

*Cimetindine - ONLY LICENCED - least effective
*Omeprazole
*Sucralfate
*Antacids - aluminium hydroxide

Question 19

Why are NSAIDs good / bad?

Answer 19

*Good = anti-inflammatory + analgesic
*Bad = damage GI mucosa

Question 20

What are antidiarrhoeals (absorbents / protectants)?

Answer 20

*Kaolin-pectin
*Activated charcoal
*Bismuth salts

Question 21

Why shouldn’t you use antibiotics initially?

Answer 21

*Upset natural gut flora = diarrhoea + promote resistance

Question 22

When would you use antibiotics?

Answer 22

*Haemorrhagic diarrhoea
*Diarrhoea + pyrexia
*Known bacteria infection

Question 23

How would you remove gastric foreign bodies?

Answer 23

*Induce vomiting - apomorphine / xylazine (non-corrosive poison)
*‘Natural’ passage - if failure to pass in 48hrs = surgery

Question 24

What age / breed does canine acute haemorrhagic diarrhoea syndrome affect? AHDS

Answer 24

*All ages
*Toy + minature predisposed

Question 25

What are clinical signs of AHDS?

Answer 25

*Sudden onset of vomit + blood
*Diarrhoea in a few hours + blood
*Depression
*Shock
Marked haemoconcentration - increased PCV (60-80)

Question 26

How would you treat AHDS?

Answer 26

• Vigorous Fluid therapy - maintain PCV <50
  *Protectants, antibiotics + withhold food + water

Question 27

What is the prognosis of AHDS?

Answer 27

*If untreated = rapid death - shock + circulatory failure
*If treated = low mortality