Weight loss

Question 1

Weight loss problems

Answer 1

Muscle atrophy
Caloric intake insufficient for life stage/ activity level

Question 2

Poor growth as problem

Answer 2

Small for age
Failure to reach market weight
Failure to gain weight

Question 3

Weight loss due to ↓ appetite (Can’t eat)

Answer 3

Dysphagia
Difficulties in prehension, mastication and swallowing
Disorders of the mouth and pharynx (neoplasias, foreign objects, ulcerated lesions)

Question 4

Weight loss due to ↓ appetite (won’t eat)

Answer 4

Loss of smell
Picky
True anorexia (hyporexia= inappetance)

Question 5

Anorexia

Answer 5

Feeding-satiety centres- hypothalamus
Influenced by blood glucose levels, body temp, metabolic products, neural input from GIT, substances released by neoplasia and psychic factors

Question 6

CNS causing anorexia

Answer 6

Secondary causes more common
Anorexia can be the only early manifestation of CNS disease

Question 7

Stress factors causing anorexia

Answer 7

Separation anxiety
New baby/ pet
Change in environment or routine
Loss of owner/ companion

Question 8

Causes of anorexia

Answer 8

Endogenous or exogenous toxins
Pyrexia
Electrolyte disturbance
hepatic disease
Neoplasia
Psychic factors
Primary CNS disease

Question 9

Weight loss with a normal or ↑ appetite

Answer 9

Malassimilation (maldigestion + malabsoprtion)- feces altered
Malutilisation

Question 10

Malabsorption of nutrients

Answer 10

Nutrients digested normally but absorption in the SI impaired
Due to structural disease of SI (primary or metabolic disease making absorption difficult)

Question 11

Malabsoprtion- Primary GI

Answer 11

Infiltrative diseases of the SI wall include IBD, GI lymphoma, intestinal parasites, lymphangiestasia, severe SI bacterial overgrowth, FIP, systemic mycoses

Question 12

CS of primary malabsorption

Answer 12

WL: normal or ↑ / ↓ or capricious
Diarrhea: slight to severe, small bowel in K9s and cats
Coprophagia (dogs)

Question 13

CS of primary malabsorption of horses

Answer 13

WL: normal or ↑ appetite
Diarrhea: infiltrative disease of LI
Dependent edema due to protein losing enteropathy
Recurrent colic

Question 14

Malabsorption from secondary GI disease

Answer 14

Hepatic disease (bile acids)
right sided cardiac disease
Hyperthyroidism

Question 15

Hyperthyroidism

Answer 15

Speed of transit of food through gut ↑ → less time for absorption
Weight loss due to↑ metabolic rate

Question 16

Maldigestion

Answer 16

Normal digestion is impaired

Question 17

Causes of maldigestion

Answer 17

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency
Secondary enzyme deficiency
Deficiency of bile acid
Loss of brush border enzymes

Question 18

Malutilisation

Answer 18

Nutrients digested and absorbed normally but utilized abnormally by the body or lost

Question 19

Malutilization with normal or ↑ appetite

Answer 19

Diabetes mellitus
CHF
Dirofilariasis
Neoplasia
Hyperthyroidism
Protein losing enteropathy in cats
Liver disease
Renal disease (protein losing nephropathy, tuber disease)

Question 20

Malutilisation with ↑ appetite

Answer 20

Diabetes mellitus
Neoplasia
Hyperthryroidism
Liver disease