Physical Exams

Food Animal medicine

When does the physical exam start?

As soon as you drive on the farm

• Body language

• Isolation

• Entire heard

Always do exams the same

Urine

Collect w/ stimulation by rubbing vuvla, cysto or walk + collect

UTI = kidney + bladder infection

Look for blood levels could mean tumor (transitional cell), stones, trauma

Bilirubin = blood metabolism (Attacked cells)

Myoglobin = breakdown of muscle

Crystals = diet based

Hydration Statis

Temperature

Normal temp for all is = 102.5

Horses = lower

What causes increase in temperature?

Stress

infection

Environment

Physical Activity

Inflammation

What causes Decrease in temperature?

Circulation (blood loss, Shock)

Sedation

Death

No glucose (atp)

Tail Tone

Animals’ natural response is to move there tail away

• unless nerve block is given for pregnancy or prolapse fix

Decrease in tail snap back = nerve damage

test - pull tail up and it should snap back

Vulva

Look at mucous membranes with CRT (push down and count blood refill time)

• crt issues could be caused by parasites, anemia, blood loss

Discharge = Oder, color, estrus cycle, amniotic fluid

If yellow, white, brown and smelly there is most likely an infection

retained after birth causes issues

mucometra

Uterus fills with mucous

Left neck

palpation should be flat, smooth

injections could cause malnormal palpation

jugular artery and carotid

prescapular lymph node

Infront on the scapula should feel it slightly

if enlarged = infection or cancer

Normal heart rate for all animals

70 beats per minute

what causes increased heart rate?

Stress, activity, parturition, handling, pain, blood pressure, temperature

What causes a decrease in heart rate?

Sedation, temperature, athletic ability, sleep/rest, medication

Arrhythmia

Abnormal heart rhythm

What side of the heart has higher pressure?

Left side - goes to body

Normal respiratory Rate

20 breaths per minute

What causes an increase in RR

Exercise, ambient temperature, respiratory disease, stress, plain, parturition

What causes a decrease in RR

Sedation, meds, relaxation, death

what causes the sound we hear in the lungs?

air turbulence = no air flow = no sound

crackles = air filled sacs popping (filled with fluid)

Wheezes = air moving faster = air constrictions

Rumen

Fermentation station

larger in adult animals

listen for paralumbarfossa (rolling thunder) noises

LDA

Left displaced abdomen

can be diagnosed with ping test = listening to the gas-liquid interface

Head

Look for bilateral symmetry

• look for swelling, smell of breath, mucous membranes

Right Ping

no ping should be heard cause rumen on left side

should be normal movement sounds

if ping is heard then possible RDA

Volvulus

dairy cattle = twist of abomasum

beef cattle = twist of cecum

Udders

Cows and horses have 4

sheep and goats have 2

pigs have 10-14

check for milk vein injury

increase in size of udders

Lymphoma

blocked duct

Boot test

squirt milk on boot to analyze color, and texture

infection of udders

mastitis

could be clinical (sick showing signs) or subclinical (sick not showing symptoms)

Testicles

Look for cryptorchidism unilateral or bilateral

pendulous scrotum

Rectal palpation

looking at reproductive tract

cattle = kidney, small and large intestine

look for impaction and check temperature

vaginal palpation

Parturition problems

Uterine torsions

Dystocia = animals should come diving out

Don’t tell owners if alive or dead = butt should pucker and mouth should suckle

Placentomes

Bring nutrients to fetus

horses have Velcro placentomes causes fetus to look nutrients faster