Vin quiz questions Flashcards
You are called to a local sheep farm to examine a 2 year old Suffolk ewe. Over the phone you are told, “Doc, my ewe is staring at the stars!”. What treatment should you bring with you to administer immediately to this ewe?
a) Vitamin B Complex
b) Calcium EDTA
c) Dexamethasone
d) Diazepam
e) Thiamine
e) Thiamine
Neurologic signs in sheep such as a stargazing appearance are classic for polioencephalomacia. Clinical signs can vary but the most common include central blindness, change in mentation, head pressing, and star gazing, which then progresses to recumbency and death. The primary mechanism of polio in sheep is thiamine deficiency. There are a variety of causes including lead poisoning, grain overload, salt intoxication/water deprivation, bracken fern poisoning, sulfur intoxication and amprolium intoxication. Thiamine is considered an emergency therapy for any acutely blind, neurologic or recumbent small ruminant. Thiamine should be given immediately upon suspicion of polio. Response to treatment can be amazing to witness in acute cases.
Vitamin B Complex does not contain sufficient amounts of thiamine for emergency treatment.
CaEDTA is typically used to treat lead toxicity.
Dexamethasone will not treat the underlying deficiency.
Diazepam is used for control of seizures.
You are called to a farm to examine a 6 y.o. Simmental crossbred cow with a 1 day history of falling down in the pelvic limbs and pelvic ataxia. On physical examination, her body condition score is 3/9, she is ∼8 months pregnant, rectal temp = 101.5 F. When she moves she is very weak in both pelvic limbs. As she walks she is ataxic in the pelvic limbs and will fall to either the left or right, her stifles flex as she walks and it almost looks as though she is squatting as she moves forward. She will intermittently walk on the tops of both rear hooves. Cow is not bellowing, is very calm, has no muscle fasciculations, and is not hyperesthetic. She just acts weak with proprioceptive deficits on both hindlimbs. There is no evidence of trauma along the spinal column. Producer is feeding grass/alfalfa mix round bales, corn gluten at ∼2 pounds/head/day, and a loose mineral. This same producer had a down cow with a 3rd stage pregnancy about 2 weeks ago that DVM drew blood on and sent off for magnesium concentration, which was normal. The producer treated her similarly as this one, put belly bands on her and picked her up but she made no attempts to stand. That cow ended up dying.
Based on the history and physical examination, where is the lesion probably located?
a) Brain
b) Cervical region
c) Thoracolumbar region
d) Sacrococcygeal region
e) Peripheral nervous system
Video of the cow here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7vy1bj5PwE&t=1s
c) Thoracolumbar region
