Sheep Clinical Exam

Question 1

What do you need to ask about in history?

Answer 1

1. Owner Complaint
2. Farm data (production, morbidity, mortality)
3. Farm Disease/ issue History (trace elements, soil type)
4. Signalment (age, breed)
5. Stage of Production (prep, lactating, growing?)
6. Age group (lambs, breeding ewes, store animals, grazing with other species?)
7. Management + changes
8. Preventative medicine
9. New introductions (biosecurity)
10. Diet + changes
11. Season, weather

Question 2

What should you be actively observing of the farm environment

Answer 2

1. Pasture (qual and quan)
2. supplementary Feeding (qual and quan)
3. Underfoot conditions
4. Water conditions (quality and quantity)
5. Endoparasite risk?
6. Injury risk?
7. poisonous plants
8. Housing - ventilation, space, stocking rates grouping, hygiene, injury risk

Question 3

What should you be observing of the animal from a distance?

Answer 3

1. Demeanour - dull, depressed, isolated
2. BCS
3. GI - eating, ruminating, dropping cud, abode outline, D+, tenesmus, faeces consistency
4. Resp - exercise tolerance, RR = 20-30 per min) and character, Nasal discharge, coughing, noise
5. Neuro - mental state (excited, depressed), behaviour (wandering, circling, head pressing) Head carriage, aversion, tilted, deviation, high, blind, coordination/ tremors, stance (wide based) Gait (ataxia, hypo/hypermetria)
6. Skin and fleece - wool loss, pruritus, staining, skin lesions, swelling
7. Locomotor - lame?
8. Occular discharge

Question 4

What should you be observing on physical exam?

Answer 4

1. Temp
2. perineal region
3. BCS
4. Skin and fleece
5. Mucous membranes
6. Superficial lymph nodes
7. Head
8. Jaw
9. Teeth
10. Eyes
11. Lungs
12. Abdo
13. chest auscultation
14. Limbs and joints - feel for any crepatous
15. feet
16. Head - CN
17. testicles
18. Udder

Question 5

List cranial nerve indicators

Answer 5

1. Menace test - visual deficit
2. Pupil size - dilated, constricted?
3. Pupil symmetry
4. Pupillary light response
5. Eye position - strabismus?
6. Eye movement - nystagmus
7. Palpebral reflex
8. Facial sensation
9. Jaw tone
10. Facial symmetry
11. Balance - loss of? rolling?
12. prehension - difficulty?
13. Swallowing - drooling?
14. Stance
15. Gait
16. Neck sensation and movement (stiffness, Opisthotonus - holding body in abnormal position?)

Question 6

What are you looking for when examining forelimbs?

Answer 6

1. skin sensation
2. Muscle tone
3. Proprioception
4. wheelbarrow test
5. hemiwalking test
6. Triceps test
7. Pedal reflex
8. Deep pain
9. Sensation

Question 7

What are you looking for when examining the trunk?

Answer 7

1. panniculus reflex

Question 8

What are you looking for when examining the hindlimb?

Answer 8

1. skin sensation
2. Muscle tone
3. Proprioception
4. wheelbarrow test
5. hemiwalking test
6. sway response
7. Patellar reflex
8. Deep pain sensation

Question 9

What looking for when examining tail/ anus?

Answer 9

1. anal tone - rectum distension
2. Tail tone - flaccid?
3. Bladder control