Remedying digestive function in cattle + approach to diarrhoea

state 3 common signs of abdominal/digestive discomfort in cattl

1. restlessness

2. kicking at flank

3. anorexia

what is the william’s test and what is it used to identify?

1. push sharply into reticulum with one hand whilst listening for a grunt in the trachea with a stethoscope

2. detects traumatic reticuloperitonitis

what is the wither’s test?

• a test used to detect subtle pain in a cow by placing pressure on the withers which should elicit a buckling of the knees

Identify this

• drinkwater mouth gag

Identify

• wedge mouth gag

Identify

• transfaunation pump

Identify

• bulldog clip

Identify

• trochar and cannula

Identify

• toggle sutures

Identify

• frick speculum

Identify

• corkscrew trochar and cannula

Identify

• trocar roll set

Identify

• stomach pump

What is this?

• liver biopsy set

What is this?

• casting rope

what colour should rumen fluid be? (3)

• green

• green brown

• yellow brown

what colour shouldn’t rumen fluid be/

• milky to brown

what odour should rumen fluid have

• aromatic

what smell shouldn’t rumen fluid have?

• sour or acid

what should the pH of the rumen be?

• 5.5-7.5

what do each of these rumen pH indicate?

1. <5.5

2. >7.0

3. >8.0

1. grain engorgement

2. inactive rumen

3. urea toxicity

why do we use mouth gags?

• they’re used for safe examination of the oral cavity and to hold the mouth in an open position

why may we want to stomach tube a cow?

1. collect rumen fluid sample for diagnosis

2. transfaunation

3. relieve gassy bloat

4. oral rehydration therapy

what restraint do we need for stomach tubing a cow

• crush

• nose the cow

briefly outline how to stomach tube a cow

• put a frick speculum into the cows mouth over the hillus

• push the tube to advance it - no force should be necessary

• pass the tube through the speculum and into the oesophagus - you should be able to visualise this externally

  • advance into the rumen and check it’s location

how do we check the stomach tube is actually in the rumen

• smell

• place against cheek - no air should be felt.

what do we use to introduce fluid/remove it from the rumen once we’ve stomach tubed?

• a pump with fluid in it

how do we remove a stomach tube?

• unlock and kink the tube, lower the cows head, switfly remove and remove the speculum

why do we want the cows head to be lowered if possible?

• to reduce the risk of aspiration of fluids

what are 4 risks with stomach tubing?

1. fluid administered to the lungs

2. damage to the teeth/mouth

3. reflux

4. inflammatory response in the oesophagus

what sample do we need to analyse rumen fluid properly?

• 100-200ml of fluid AFTER the first 100ml of fluid has been brought up.

why is the abomasum prone to displacement?

• it’s only loosely suspended by the greater omentum and is held in place by the weight of the rumen above it.

what is abomasal volvulus?

• the displacement of the abomasum to the right and lateral to the liver

what clinical signs do we expect with abomasal volvulus?

• complete anorexia

• obvious, progressive reduced milk production

where is the ‘ping’ used to detect a DA typically heard in an LDA?

• b/w rib 9-13 in the upper third of L abdomen

what do we call a closed technique of DA correction?

• percutaneous

what is the non-open technique used to correct a DA?

• role and toggle/blind-stitch method

what does the roll and toggle technique involve?

• casting the cow into dorsal recumbency and suturing the abomasum to the ventral body wall using toggle pins attached to suture

What is this showing the location of?

• liver biopsy

how do we determine the site of liver biopsy?

• draw a line from the tuber coxae to olecranon and from the greater trochanter of the femur to the wing of atlas of C1

• find the 10th intercostal space

• 2 inch gap!

what anaesthetic do we need for liver biopsy?

• around 5ml of 2% lidocaine under the skin

why may we want to obtain a liver biopsy?

• metabolic health

• signs of fatty liver disease

• histopathology of hepatic disease/parasitic infection

• photosensitisation

• fibrosis

• neoplasia

• abscessation

How do we perform a liver biopsy, having obtained the correct position to perform it

• insert the needle/trochar parallel to the ground

• angle cranioventrally towards contralateral shoulder

• advance trochar about 6cm to penetrate skin, muscle, diaphragm and liver capsule

• collect sample

State 7 clinical/history signs of diarrhoea

1. anorexia/reduced feed intake

2. pyrexia

3. colic signs

4. diarrhoea

5. ventral/limb oedema

6. hypovolaemia

7. hypoproteinemia

state the aetiology and pathogenesis of diarrhoea in horses (6 points)

1. large intestinal

2. increased water loss

   1. failure of absorption

   2. hypersecretion

3. intestinal dysbiosis

4. inflammation

4 common differentials for diarrhoea in neonatal horses

• foal heat

• rotavirus

• salmonella

• clostridia

common differential for weanling horses with diarrhoea?

• parasites

common differentials for adult horses with diarrhoea (4)

1. clostridia

2. salmonella

3. parasites

4. antibiotics

what are diagnostic options for diarrhoea in horses

• specific diagnostics

• predictive markers

• faecal analysis

what are predictive markers in horses when exploring diarrhoea of:

1. acute inflammation

2. chronic inflammation

1. leukopenia

2. leucocytosis

what are 2 general treatments groups for diarrhoea in horses?

• specific therapy

• supportive therapy

what are the 3 types of dogs that present with diarrhoea

1. bright patient + diarrhoea

2. more quiet with chronic diarrhoea/not getting better

3. collpased, dehydrated, hypovolaemic, severe diarrhoea case

what are the 4 known mechanisms of diarrhoea

• secretory diarrhoea

• inflammation/infiltration

• osmotic diarrhoea

• disruption in motility

state 7 possible differentials for diarrhoea in dogs

1. gastritis/enteritis with different causes - bacteria/viral etc.

2. parasites

3. foreign body

4. IBD

5. allergy

6. sever/chronic - neoplasia

what are the 2 diagnostic steps we should take for our diarrhoea dogs?

• TEMPERATURE

• good clinical exam

if the dog has a temperature with diarrhoea, what can we give that we can’t give to cats?

• paracetamol

what are 10 clinical signs/history of a lizard with diarrhoea?

1. lethargy

2. anorexia

3. weight loss

4. behaviour changes

5. straining to defecate

6. large volume of faeces of variable consistency

7. cloacal prolapse

8. stomach thickening

do foreign bodies typically cause diarrhoea in lizards?

• no they cause impactions

what are some common differentials in lizards of diarrhoea? (6)

1. endoparasites

2. protozoa

3. bacterial infection/overgrowth

4. viral

5. stress

6. incorrect husbandry

what are diagnostic steps of a lizard with diarrhoea?

• faecal parasitoloty

• examine husbandry

• faecal PCR

• faecal or cloacal swab culture

what treatment can we give to lizards with diarrhoea?

• supportive treatment

• tube feeds

• fluis

• treat underlying cause

• salmonella

what issue that causes stomach thickening in lizards and diarrhoea, isn’t treatable?

• cryptosporidium

what are 6 common differentials of diarrhoea in calves?

• rotavirus - 8-14 d/o

• coronavirus

• cryptosporidium

• salmonella

• enterotoxigenic E.coli

• coccidiosis

how does corona/rota virus/crypto cause diarrhoea in calves?

• target SI enterocytes

• unable to digest lactose/abs H2O/nutrients

how does crypto cause diarrhoea in calves?

• loss of absorptive SI area

how does E.coli cause diarrhoea in calves?

• sticks to SI lining, creates toxins and reduces absorption

What vaccines can we give the dam 2-12w prior to calving to help reduce the risk of disease causing diarrhoea?

• salmonella

• E.coli (ETEC/K99)

• rotavirus

• cornavirus