Exam 3: Diarrhea in Ruminants

what are the three major classes of diarrhea in ruminants

• due to a primary GI disease

• a sign of systemic disease

• secondary to toxemia

what should be included in a history

• age and use of animal

• presence of hypo/anorexia

• duration and progression of diarrhea

• number of affected animals

• vaccination and deworming

• recent changes such as diet, husbandry, and travel

• reproductive status

• characteristics of diarrhea

• evidence of abdominal pain

what are important biosecurity measures to take with ruminent diarrhea patients

• in clinics, patients should be examined in isolation

• on the farm, patient should be examined in a sick pen of handling facilities

• the vet should be in PPE, including gloves, boots that can be disinfected, coveralls

describe key points on the physical for these patients

• evidence of weight loss

• psoture of abdominal pain, distension, arching back, treading hind feet, laying down

• rectal temp

• oral exam

• MM color

• CRT

• abdominal auscultation and palpation

• succussion of abdomen in sheep and goats

• rectal in cows

what are the major causes of infectious diarrhea in adult ruminants

• salmonella

• C. perf

• MAP

• BVD

• winter dysentery

• H. contortus

• O. circumcincta

• T. vitrius

• Cooperia

• Coccidiosis

what are common non-infectious causes of diarrhea in adult ruminants

• chemical, toxic plants

• grain overload

• lush forage

• sudden change in diet

• copper deficiency

• liver, heart, kidney failure

how should feces be examined

• gross inspection

• examine for paraistes and ova

• check for fecal occult blood

• cultre for salmonella and MAP

what are important aspects of bloodwork for ruminant diarrhea

• BC, fibrinogen, PCV

• plasma proteins

• fibrinogen

• electrolytes and acid base

• renal enzymes

• liver enzymes

• copper and selenium in herd cases

what diseases can be diagnosed with serology

• BLV

• BVDV

• MAP

generally describe ruminant Salmonellosis

• Salmonella enterica spp enterica
  -Typhimurium MDR
  -Newport
  -Dublin

• fecal-oral route in all ages, intestinal disease is often brought on by stress

describe the etiology of salmonellosis

• serious illness most often seen in very young animals and pregnant dairy cows

• incubation period 1-4 days

• clinical illness ast 7-10 days, but full recovery may take 2-3 weeks

• sick cows may become carriers that shed for varying periods of tme

what are the clinical signs of salmonellosis

• may be asymptomatic carrier

• diarrhea that may vary from watery to mucoid, may contain blood and fibrin, and has a putrid odor

• endotoxemia defined by fever, depressed attitude, reduced feed intake

• dehydration

• severe drop in milk production

• abortion

• bacteremia

• possibly death

how is ruminant salmonella diagnosed

• definitive is culture from feces, blood or tissues

• PCR also available

generally describe C. perfringens infection

• gram positive, toxin producing, anerobic, spore forming rod

• some are commensal intestinal organiss

• young ruminants

generally describe C. perf type A infection

• yellow lamb disease, associated with highly fatal hemolytic hemorrhagic enteritis in adult cattle and sheep, hemolytic enterotoxemia in goats

• widespread hemolysis which leads to anemia, weakness, hemoglobinuria, icterus

• disease is often fatal

• associated with jejunal hemorrhagic syndrome in adult dairy cattle

what are the clinical signs of C. perf type A

• diarrhea that is profuse and hemorrhagic

• acute onset of depression

• dyspnea

• pyrexia

• pale or jaundiced MM

• abdominal pain

• hemoglobinuria

How is C. perf type A diagnsosed

• based on clinical signs, gross and microscopic findings on necropsy, microbiological tests to show the presence of bacteria

• PCR used for the potential of toxin

how is C. perfringens type B described

• causes acute hemorrhagic enterocolitis in neonatal ruminants

how is C. perf type C described

• hemorrhagic enterocolitis in calves and lambs, rarely goats

• commonly a fatal disease

how is C. perf type D described

• overeating disease

• acute diarrhea due to enteritis in goats

• abdominal distenstion, vocalizing, dyspnea, tachy, watery diarrhea containing fibrin, mucous, or strands of blood

• recumbency, respiratory distress, convulsions due to enterotoxemia then occurs

• death within hours

what is the organism that causes Paratuberculosis aka Johne disease

• Mycobacterium avium spp paratuberculosis (MAP)

how is MAP transmitted

• fecal oral route in all ages

• neonates can get through milk or across placenta

• infection generally occurs at young age, clinical signs only seen in adult animals due to long incubation period

what are the clinical signs of Johne’s disease

• watery diarrhea not associated with tenesmus, blood and mucus not typically present

• submandibular edema due to hypoproteinemia

• weight loss in the face of good atteptive

• sheep and goats may only have chronic weight loss

how is paratuberculosos diagnoed

• immune based diagnostic to detect immune response to MAP

• organism culture and PCR using feces

generally describe BVDV

• peracute diarrhea caused in immunocompetent, non-persistently infected adults

• signs depend on the immune status of animal and strain of virus

• incubation period 2-5 days

what are the clinical signs associated with virulent BVD

• acute severe bloody diarrhea

• high fever

• decreased appetite

• mouth ulcers

• hemorrhage of tissues

• pneumonia

• death

• reproductive disorders such as agalactia, decreased conception rate, abortion, stillbirth, congential defects, weak calves

how is BVD diagnosed

• viral isolation in acute phase

• serology

describe the general life cycle of nematodes

direct

transmission is through ingestion of infective third larvae

what increases susceptibility to nematodes

• all young ruminants, though adults do not build effective immunity against trichostrongyle type nematodes

• grazing adult goats (grass)

what are the risk factrs for clinical nematodiasis

• ingestion of high larval loads

• overcrowding on pasture

• wet weather

• lush pastures

• low plane of nutrition

what are the clinical signs associated with nematodiosis in adult ruminants

• diarrhea

• weight loss

• decreased production

• pale mucous membranes

• submandibular edema

• death

how are nematodes diagnosed

• fecal McMaster

generally describe coccidiosis

• genus Eimeria

• direct life cycle

• infection via ingestion of infective oocysts

• young, non-immune ruminants

what species are mainly affected by coccidiosis

• uncommon in adult sheep and cattle

• important in adult goats and beef cattle

what are risk factors for clinical coccidiosis

• young age

• poor nutritional status

• high stocking density

• other concurrent diseases

• environmental stress

• management stress

what are the clinical signs of coccidiosis

• inappetence

• acute diarrhea that is foul smeliing and contains blood and mucus

• pale MM depending on degree of blood loss

• nervous system involvement demonstrated as muscle trmors, hyperesthesia, seizures

how is coccidiosis diagnosed

• fecal exam with high oocyst densities

• method of choice is fecal floatation

• perform a species level ID as far as possible