Clin Med V: Digestive Tract Diseases

What are the accessory structures of the digestive tract?

• Teeth

• Tongue

• Salivary glands

• Liver

• Pancreas

• Gallbladder

Which species is more predisposed to esophageal diseases?

Why?

• Cats

• Because they have more smooth muscle; things are more likely to get stuck.

Dogs have ____________ muscle in their esophagus, which is more effective for peristalsis.

Skeletal.

Where does chyme exit the stomach at? Where does it travel to?

Pyloric sphincter.

Duodenum.

Chyme gets absorbed in the ________________. Anything undigested goes to the ____________.

• Small intestine— absorption

• Colon— anything undigested

Exocrine portion of the pancreas:

• Lipids

• Proteins

• DNA and RNA

• Carbs

When do deciduous teeth erupt?

3-12 weeks.

When do the canines erupt?

Around 6 months of age.

Where does periodontitis start?

Gingivitis.

Is periodontitis reversible?

No; it leads to tooth loss.

Who is gingival hyperplasia common in?

Brachycephalics.

Describe grade 1 periodontal disease:

• Plaque build up

• Gingivitis

Describe grade II of periodontal disease:

• Pocket formation

• Some loss of tissue

• Gingival recession

Describe grade III of periodontal disease:

• Ulcerated gingiva

• Bone loss

Describe grade IV of periodontal disease:

Deepened pocket.

This oral condition occurs in cats and results in the erosion of dentin on the tooth leading to it becoming irreparably destroyed:

Feline Odontoplastic Resorptive Lesions (FORL).

What is the treatment for FORL?

Extractions.

Canine gingival sulcus depth:

1-3mm (>3 is increased)

Feline gingival sulcus depth:

<1mm (>1 is increased)

What antibiotic is commonly used to treat periodontal disease?

Clindamycin.

Common causes of oral trauma:

• Falls

• Bites

• Burns— chemical vs. electrical

What is the most common disease of the salivary glands?

Salivary mucocele.

Who does salivary mucoceles most commonly effect?

German shepherds and miniature poodles

Painless, swelling on the neck.

Name the 3 malignant oral neoplasms talked about in class:

• Malignant melanoma

• Fibrosarcoma

• Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC)

Affects dogs with heavily pigmented mucosa and results in lesions that are dome-shaped:

Malignant melanoma.

This oral neoplasm is a rapidly growing malignant tumor that originates from the fibrous connective tissue of the mouth:

Fibrosarcoma.

Seen more often in cats and is ulcerative and erosive which invades both gingiva and bone:

Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC).

Name the benign oral neoplasms talked about in class:

• Papillomas

• Epulus (epulides)

This oral neoplasm is benign and is caused by a virus with pale-colored, cauliflower-like growths:

Papillomas.

This oral neoplasm typically occurs in the gingiva near the incisors. It is slow growing and locally invasive. It can even cause some bone destruction.

Epulus (epulides).

How is lip fold dermatitis caused?

Commonly seen in brachycephalics, and is moisture buildup on the loose skin of their face.

What is the surgical treatment for lip fold dermatitis? What is being done?

Anti-drool cheiloplasty.

They are taking the lip fold, pulling it up, and tucking it up.

This ocndition is caused by inflammation of the esophageal wall due to the ingestion of an irritant or physical trauma from a foreign body:

Esophagitis.

What does GERD stand for? What is it?

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.

• Cardiac sphincter dysfunction, stomach acid will splash and travel to the esophagus and cause pain.

Why would we see concurrent signs of respiratory symptoms when a patient has GERD?

Aspiration→ things are constantly coming back up.

This esophageal condition is the result of ingestion of a non-digestable foreign object.

Quick intervention and prompt removal is necessary due to the high possibility of a bad outcome.

Esophageal Obstruction.

Should surgery on the esophagus always be your first choice? Why or why not?

No! We want to avoid it as much as possible.

Poor healing and stricture formation.

What does PRAA stand for? What is it?

• Persistent Right Aortic Arch

• Esophageal vascular ring anomaly that is seen most commonly in german shepherd puppies and is due to the persistence of the 4th right aortic arch that wraps around the esophagus, leading to regurgitation.

What is the only treatment for PRAA?

• Surgery; no other fix.

• Maintenance:

  • Feed elevated— bailey chair.

This esophageal neurologic disease involve the lack of effective peristalsis which results in dilation of the esophagus and regurgitation of undigested food:

Megaesophagus.

How do we diagnose megaesophagus?

Fluoroscopy

What is the most common gastric disease, and most common cause of vomiting in dogs and cats?

Acute gastritis

Which is the best modality for diagnosing acute gastritis?

Abdominal ultrasound.

What does IBD stand for?

Immune-mediated Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

This gastric condition can lead to build up of inflammatory cells in the stomach, small intestine, or large bowel.

IBD.

How is IBD commonly managed?

Prednisone and hypo-allergenic diet.,

This gastric condition most commonly occurs with the administration of NSAID’s, especially COX-1 that can interfere with the mucosal barrier:

Gastric ulcers.

What is the treatment for gastric ulcers?

• Sulcalfrate

• Antacids.

This gastric condition most commonly occurs in large, deep chested breeds. The air-filled stomach will twist and cut off blood supply.

GDV

What cardiac arrhythmia is commonly seen with GDV?

VPC’s.— wide and bizarre

May progress into VTach

What drug is used to treat VPC’s and V-tach?

Lidocaine.

What method is used to alleviate distension when treating GDV?

Trocharization.

What malformation causes esophagus?

PRAA.

Define borborygmus:

An audible abdominal sound produced by hyperactive intestinal peristaltic activity.

Define dyschezia:

Abnormal passage of feces through the rectum.

Define hematochezia:

Passage of blood through the rectum usually from the colon or rectum.

Define Hyperechoic:

Increased reflection on an ultrasound.

Define obstipation:

A condition of extreme constipation caused by obstruction of the intestinal tract.

Define pica:

Craving to eat non-food substances such as clay or dirt.

Define poikilocytosis:

Abnormal/variation in the shape of RBC’s.

Define tenesmus:

Straining to defecate.

Periodontal disease affects ____ - ____ of dogs and cats.

60-80%.

When your gum tissue pulls away from your teeth, exposing the roots underneath is called:

Gingival recession.

How many grades does gingivitis have? What are they called?

3:

• Mild

• Moderate

• Severe

What are 2 treatments of salivary mucocele?

• Aspiration of fluid

• Sx

When your patient has GDV, what should be monitored for at least 24 hours after surgery and why?

GDV for ventricular tachycardia

What are some examples of gastric neoplasia?

• Adenocarcinoma

• Lymphoma