Vomiting & Diarrhea Flashcards
List four “inputs” to the vomiting center
- abdominal viscera
- CRTZ
- vestibular apparatus
- cerebral cortex
Top extra-GI causes of V/D in dogs
- pancreatitis
- liver failure
- kidney failure
- hypoadrenocorticism
Top extra-GI causes of vomiting and diarrhea in cats
- pancreatitis
- liver failure
- kidney failure
- hypoadrenocorticism
- hyperthyroid (V/D)
- heartworm disease (V)
Most important primary GI rule outs
- GI obstruction (foreign body)
- parvovirus if puppy
Most important extra-GI rule outs
acute pancreatitis or other organ system failure
Large bowel vs. small bowel diarrhea
Small:
- increased appetite-unless sytemic illness
- weight loss
- large volume but normal frequency
Large:
- normal appetite
- no weight loss
- increased frequency
- tenesmus
- frank blood/mucus
Components/steps to history in V/D cases
- Make sure to correctly identify problem
- If diarrhea, determine small or large bowel
- Determine if the problem is acute or chronic
- Establish how severe the V/D is
- Assess whether primary or extra-GI disease seems most likely
- Diet and enviroment
- diet change or dietary indiscretion
- foreign body/toxin access
- potential for GI pathogens
- vaccination/deworming Hx
- current meds
Ddx for panhypoproteinemia
How will you differentiate?
- PLE
- Blood loss
Differentiate with PCV; if patient not anemic, blood loss likely not the issue!
Ddx for low albumin and normal globulin
- PLN
- liver failure
- vasculitis
What should you do if you r/o extra-GI causes and determine the problem is small bowel diarrhea?
rule out EPI with a TLI
Fiber supplementation is often helpful to treat what?
chronic large-bowel diarrhea
Abdominal radiographs are really good for?
ruling in obstruction
What are some breeds predisposed to IBD or lymphangiectasia?
- yorkies
- soft-coated wheaten terriers
- lyndehunds
- basenjis
What are some possible causes of PLE?
- moderate to severe IBD or lymphangiectasia
- neoplastic infiltrate of GI tract (e.g. lymphoma)
- fungal or heavy parasitic infection (e.g. pythium, histoplasmosis, ancylostomiasis, strongyloides)
PLE-complications
- thoracic and/or abdominal effusion (secondary to low albumin)
- thromboembolism secondary to loss of antithrombin III
- ionized hypocalcemia (due to deficiency/malabsorption of vitamin D)
Components of a minimum database for infectious V/D
- FeLV/FIV test-cats
- wet mounts
- centrifugation flotation
- Giardia SNAP test
- treat with fenbendazole
What should you include in your minimum database for infectious V/D if large bowel diarrhea
- culture or PCR(preferred) for T. foetus - cats
- rectal scraping cytology
An infectious agent PCR panel might be really helpful when the patient is showing what signs?
- systemic illness
- fever
- leukocytosis
- bloody diarrhea
What treatment considerations are there for lymphocytic/plasmacytic IBD?
- fenbendazole/metronidazole
- elimination diet/treatment response trials
- parenteral B12 if low
-
steroids +/- cytotoxic agent
- cyclosporine or azathioprine (dog)
- chlorambucil (cat)
What additional diagnostics would you consider if you found neutrophilic IBD?
- fenbendazole/metronidazole
- elimination/diet/treatment response trials
- parenteral B12 if low
- antibiotics
Treatment considerations if you found eosinophilic IBD?
- fenbendazole/praziquantal
- elimination diet/treatment response trials
- parenteral B12 if low
- steroids +/- cytotoxic agent
Treatment considerations if you found granulomatous IBD
- fenbendazole/metronidazole
- elimination diet/treatment resopnse trials
- parenteral B12 if low
- antibiotics with intracellular activity (e.g. Baytril)
Treatment considerations if you find lymphangiectasia
- Fenbendazole/metronidazole
- parenteral B12 if low
- ultra low-fat diet
- steroids +/- cytotoxic agent
If an animal has polyphagia + weight loss + diarrhea, what does your differential list consist of?
- not feeding enough
-
malassimilation
- EPI
- small intestinal malabsorption
- hyperthyroidism
- diabetes mellitus
Etiology of EPI
- autoimmune lymphocytic (dogs)
- chronic pancreatitis (cats, dogs)
What breed is predisposed to EPI?
GSD
What are the predominant clinical signs of EPI?
weight loss +/- small bowel diarrhea
Top PRIMARY GI disease differentials for ACUTE V/D
- dietary indiscretion/hypersensitivity
- acute gastritis or gastroenteritis (HGE, parvo, parasitic, bacterial, protozoal)
- drug-induced
- obstruction (FB, GDV, intussusception)
- GI ulcers
Anti-emetics that work at the vomiting center
- Chlorpromazine (alpha antagonist)
- Maropitant (NK1 antagonist)
- Ondansetron-cats (5-HT3 antagonist)
What anti-emetics act on the abdominal viscera?
- maropitant
- ondansetron-dogs
What anti-emetics are effective at the CRTZ?
- Maropitant
- Chlorpromazine
- Metaclopramide-dogs
HGE etiology
- intestinal anaphylaxis; possible role of C. perfringens?