Smallholder cases Flashcards
Where would you normally palpate to measure the heart rate (based on goat CE)?
- femoral artery
Useful history questions
- passing faeces?
- when did x start?
- worming history
- other animals? are they well?
- age
- passing urine?
- sex
- breed
- castrated?
- diet
What is a feature of caprine arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV) infection?
- joint enlargement in goats, especially those over 1y/o
Is intersex rare in goats?
- no
- these are quite common in goats
- most affected animals are male pseudohermaphrodites
– they’re genetically female with an XX karyotype but have a wide variety of phenotypic appearances
Normal pulse rate of a goat
- 70-90bpm
What is stargazing and is it normal in goats?
- looking upwards and then rotating their heads through an angle of at least 180 degrees
- yes it is normal
How common are pseudopregnancies in goats?
- quite common
- must always be considered in animals presented for pregnancy diagnosis or for investigation of abdominal enlargement
- up to 30% of does may be affected during their lives, and the incidence increases with age
Differentials for a goat showing signs of abdominal discomfort and dysuria
- cystitis
- actinomyces
- spinal cord injury
- urolithiasis
- sacral fracture
- trauma
- ulcerative balanitis (ulceration and inflammation of the glans penis and the prepuce in males
Options for obstructive urolithiasis in goats
- euthanasia (excellent option give guarded prognosis and likely expensive surgery)
- tx conservatively with Buscopan, IVFT, broad spec AB and NSAIDs (might be successful if reducing spasm around a single calculus is sufficient to allow urine flow, probably unlikely but could be offered)
- urethrotomy (could be worth a try, although the urethra will often become blocked again as additional calculi travel down the urethra
- perineal urethrostomy (considered a salvage procedure as ~80% of these will recur within 12mo
- cystotomy and tube cystotomy (considered tx of choice in valuable animals and those where a ruptured bladder is suspected
Preventing urolithiasis in goats
- offer more forage
- offer goats salt licks
- reduce phosphorus in diet
- reduce Mg in diet
- introduce ammonium chloride into diet
- reduce concentrate feeding
Pig legislation for England do’s
- obtain a county parish holding (CPH) number
- have a licence for any movement of pigs on to or off of premises
- identify all pigs with an ear tag/tattoo/slapmark
- register with APHA as a pig keeper
- keep a record of any medicines purchased and administered
- keep a holding movement record
- apply for awalking licence from APHA
Pig legislation for England don’ts
- tail dock routinely
- move any pigs anywhere until 21d after the arrival of a pig
- bury dead pigs
- feed pig any surplus food, including table scraps
- insert a nose ring in a boar
- transport pigs in any way that is likely to cause injury or undue suffering
- tear any tissues when performing castration
Should pigs that live outdoors, and those that are exercised outside, be wormed every 4-6m?
- yes
- fresh faecal samples should be examined for worm eggs
- worming with an ivermectin, which also covers mange, is useful
- if protection against mange is not required, benzimidazoles are generally very effective
When do Vietnamese potbellied pigs reach puberty?
- 4 months old (2 bones before commercial pigs)
How old should male pet pigs be castrated?
~10d/o
Which pigs to vaccinate against Erysipelas?
- all pig pets
- an initial course of 2 injections, followed by 6m booster
- prevents the appearance of erysipelas infection but doesn’t protect against lameness associated with the condition
In what position are pet pigs normally assessed?
- on their backs
- clients should be encouraged to place the pig on its back as a form of playing to accustom it to this position in case it needs to be examined clinically
Normal pulse rate of a weaned pig
- 80-100bpm
How does Sarcoptes scabies var suis present in pigs?
- pruritic, often with a yellowish-brown deposit on the skin, particularly in and around the ears
- diagnosis confirmed by examining a sample of wax scraped from inside the ear for mange mites under a microscope
In pigs, when should Erysipelas be suspected?
- animal suddenly becomes sick
- high rectal temp
- walks stiffly
- characteristic diamond-shaped lesions may appear the following day in white areas or be felt on dark-skinned pigs
What bacteria most commonly causes D+ in young pigs?
- E.coli
How much of a pigs waking time should be spent searching for food?
- 60%
- therefore pet pigs need to be fed over a wide area of ground to help maintain a good BCS, aid locomotion and general digestion
T or F: camelids are unable to open their mouth wide enough to make possible a more than cursory examination of the oral cavity?
- True
Where are the 2 major sites for jugular venipuncture in camelids?
- low on the neck near the thoracic inlet
- high near the ramus of the mandible