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
T or F: normal lung sounds are muted in camelids and may be difficult to hear
- True
- the rr is best established by placing the stethoscope over the trachea at the thoracic inlet
How is gastric intubation accomplished in camelids?
- via the oral cavity
- the nasal cavity is narrow and precludes passage of any except small tubes
T or F: camelids use a communal dung heap for both urination and defaecation
- true
Normal body temp of camelids
- 37.5-38.9C, but can be as high as 40C
Normal gastric motility rate in camelids
- 3-4/minute
- increases slightly after feeding
T or F: pulse evaluation is not used in camelids, as there are no readily accessible arteries
- true
Due to stress, where can camelids develop ulceration?
- C3 (3rd compartment)
What is the lesion localisation of those likely to cause the most severe CS of colic?
- lesions affecting the distal SI or spiral colon
- forestomach problems are least likely to result in severe signs
What age of camelids are most likely to get tooth root abscesses?
- 2-5y/o
What parasite causes severe anaemia in camelids?
- Haemonchus spp
- when they present the animals will be very severely affected, but they should respond rapidly to blood transfusion from a healthy animal
- usually a single unit (450ml) of blood from a healthy animal with a PCV of 24-28% will be adequate, esp if the underlying cause if identified and tx
Use of passive float tests in camelids
- most are too insensitive for use in camelids
- the modified Stoll’s test is recommended, and is sensitive down to 5 eggs/gram of faeces (epg)
T or F: the innate immunity of camelids to parasitism is lower than that or sheep
- True
- this means that’s under UK grazing conditions, camelids may suffer from clinical dz at lower levels of infestation that would be expected to be clinically significant in sheep
- additionally, when co-grazed with sheep, camelids are more likely to succumb to clinical dz due to increased parasite exposure
What do lice infestations cause in camelids?
- pruritus + anaemia with sucking lice
- sucking lice can be treated with injectable avermectins
- chewing lice: topical product for use in other spp should be applied
In a camelid, where should you take a peritoneal tap?
- one hands breadth caudal to the last rib on the right flank
- 1/3rd to 1/2 of the way from the midline
Which coccidia affect camelids?
- Eimeria:
– punoensis
– alpaca
– lamae
– macusaniensis
Camelid sarcoptic mange tx
- ivermectin injections of 0.5-0.6mg/kg every 7-10d for 3-4 treatments
Recommended tx protocol for tooth root abscesses in camelids
- SC florfenicol at dose of 20mg/kg every other day
