LAT II: LA Physical Exams

List some different types of identification used in large animals.

• Tattoos

• Tail and brisket tags

• Ankle bands

• Heat/Freeze branding

• Electronic collars

• Numbered plastic tags in ears

• Ear notching

• Microschips

List the common coat patterns in horses:

• Black

• Brown

• Chestnut

• Bay

• Roan

• Sorrel

• Buckskin

• Dun

• Gray

• Palomino

What is this coat pattern called?

Chestnut.

What is this coat pattern called?

Brown.

What is this coat pattern called?

Sorrel.

What is this coat pattern called?

• black points

Bay.

What is this coat pattern called?

Hint: Dorsal stripe

Dun.

What is this coat pattern called?

• blonde with black points

Buckskin.

What is this coat pattern called?

Palomino.

What is this coat pattern called?

Gray.

What is this coat pattern called?

• White flecking

Roan.

Where are microchips implanted on horses?

Halfway between the poll and withers on the left side of the neck in the nuchal ligament or muzzle.

What is the coggin’s test?

A yearly blood draw for equine infectious anemia.

Normal TPR for horses:

T: 99-101.5

P: 28-44

R: 6-12

Digital pulse:

The pulse that can be felt as blood flows through the artery in a horse’s hoof.

What would inflammation of the tissues in the leg or hoof of a horse (laminitis) cause?

The blood flow to be restricted making the pulse stronger and easier to feel.

• you should not feel a steady pulse in a normal horse.

How long do you listen for HR in horses?

listen for 30 seconds and multiply 2.

***How many lung fields for auscultation are there for horses?

4 on each side.

Normal air movement should not be accompanied by what during lung auscultation?

• wheezing

• gurgling

• moist sounds

Pulse quality is described in what terms?

• Strong

• Bounding

• Weak

• Thready

What are three things that may cause an increase in temperature when doing tpr?

• Exercise

• Weather

• Age

What are the normal gut sounds per minute of an equine?

1-3 minutes.

What are the normal ruminant gut sounds per min of a bovine?

1-2 minutes.

During the four point of the auscultation of the gut sounds what is the number scale and what do each mean?

0- no motility

1- hypo-motility

2- normal motility

3- hyper-motility

A cow with ruminal bloat has what classic abdomen shape?

“Papple” shape- left side resembles an apple, and right side resembles a pear.

When a scale is not available in LA, what can be used to get a rough estimate on weight and height?

Height/weight tape specific to species

What body system is the most common system evaluated and treated by the equine practitioner?

Musculoskeletal/lameness.

Besides the three basic types of physical exams, what are the four specific types that can also be performed?

• Basic PE

• Pre-purchase exam

• Insurance exam

At what point in the body do you put the weight tape?

Behind the tallest point on the withers.

Where do you do skin turgor at on a horse?

Neck/shoulder.

What ar ethe andmarks for the placement of an NG tube?

Nose to the 18th rib.

What are the IM injection sites?

• Gluteals

• Semitendinosus

• Pectoral muscles

• Lateral cervical

What is the max volume for IM injections?

15 ml.

Who performs health and certification/insurance exam?

Veterinarians.

What is the common arrhythmias in horses?

Sinus arrhythmia.

How long do we listen to gut sounds?

1 minute.

Where are the four landmarks on horses to listen to gut sounds per minute?

In between last rib and hip.

What do gum/MM colors indicate?

• Blue (cyanosis)- lack of oxygen

• Brick red- shock

• Yellow- icteric, liver dysfunction

• Pale- anemia

Which IM site should you avoid in nursing foals?

Lateral cervical.

What are the common optho/lameness reasons?

• Pain

• Mechanical interference without pain

• Neurologic lameness

What are the different ways to deliver oral meds?

• Feed additives

• Dose syringes

• Balling guns

• Oral drench

• NG tube

What are the landmarks of the lateral cervical IM injection?

• Dorsal border- Nuchal ligament

• Caudal border: Cranial border of scapula

• Ventral border: Cervical vertebrae

What can happened with the accidental carotid stick?

• Seizures

• Death

• Collapse

What does a blood gas measure?

Arterial- O2, CO2, pH

What are the different ways to collect urine?

Voided or catheter.

What is common in RBCs in horses?

Rouleaux

What are basophils commonly confused with?

Mast cells.

What is horses blood volume in the spleen?

• Contains 1/3 of circulating RBC volume.

• Can increase PCV by 50% due to splenic contraction.

Bilirubin is increased in what species?

Horse.

What is the position of the horse for an arthrocentesis?

Standing and weight bearing

What is BAL?

• Bronchoalveolar lavage

• Done by endoscope

• Used for lower respiratory dx

What are the two CSF locations?

• Atlanto-occipital space

• Lumbosacral

Cattle TPR

T: 100-102.5

P: 40-80 bpm

R: 10-30 rpm

What is the purpose of digital pulses in horses?

Should be intermittent and can indicate inflammation if bounding.

What is a common arrhythmia in horses that results in a dropped QRS complex?

Second degree AV block.

What side is the rumen on?

Left.

What are your landmarks when performing an abdominocentesis?

Midline slightly to the right to avoid the spleen.

Normal abdominal fluid should be:

Clear, odorless, no bacteria.

True or false:

Zoonotic disease can be present in spinal fluid.

True.

What blood test is ran on patients under anesthesia to check oxygenation status?

Blood gas.

If you see yellow serum on a horse blood sample does that mean they have liver dz?

No.

Sites for IV injection:

• Jugular— most common

• Cephalic

• Saphenous

• Coccygeal vein- under the tail

Where do you put IV catheters?

Jugular.

Why do you need to avoid the carotid artery? What can happen?

It runs right along the jugular, and it will fast track to the brain.

A large hematoma will form, can have a seizure, collapse, and death.