Manifestation of Disease (Pain and Clinical Signs)

A set of QUESTION_AND_ANSWER style flashcards covering the key concepts of pain, pain mechanisms, clinical signs of pain in different body regions, fever and temperature regulation, respiratory and cardiovascular signs, gastrointestinal and nervous system indicators, dysphagia, toxins, and urinary issues drawn from the notes.

What is the IASP definition of pain?

An aversive sensory experience caused by actual or potential injury that elicits progressive motor and vegetative reactions, results in learned avoidance behavior, and may modify species-specific behavior including social behavior.

What are the two components of pain processing?

Sensation (nociception) and perception (interpretation). Sensation is the transmission of noxious stimuli; perception is the higher cognitive processing and subjective interpretation.

What are the three functions of nociception?

Warning the animal of actual tissue damage; predicting when tissue damage is likely to occur; warning conspecifics of the presence of danger.

What is nociception?

The process by which the body senses and responds to harmful stimuli (nociceptors transmitting signals through the nervous system).

What is nociceptor negative feedback?

The body actively reduces signals sent by nociceptors using inhibitory neurotransmitters.

What are basic pain responses?

Basic motor withdrawal and protection from further stimuli; higher cognitive processes lead to more organized behavioral responses; may include aggression or escape attempts.

Name non-specific autonomic indicators of pain.

Increased heart rate, increased respiratory rate, increased blood pressure, pupil dilation, sweating; tachycardia is common; bradycardia may occur in some cases.

What is superficial pain?

Pain from skin or subcutaneous tissues (e.g., lacerations, bruising).

What is deep pain?

Pain from muscles, joints, bones, and connective tissue.

What is visceral pain?

Pain arising from internal organs (e.g., intestine, obstructed ureter, gall bladder, uterus); often rhythmic cramping and difficult to localize.

What is parietal pain?

Pain from pleura, peritoneum, or pericardium; typically stabbing in character.

What is referred pain?

Pain that originates at a distant site from the actual lesion.

Name some common signs of abdominal pain (colic/abdominal discomfort).

Tail swishing, bruxism (teeth grinding), pawing, stamping feet, stretching, looking/kicking at abdomen, recumbency, treading; plus elevated heart rate and respiratory rate, sweating, restlessness, grunting, anorexia, weight loss.

What are signs of thoracic (chest) pain?

Reluctance to move, rapid shallow respiration, splinting to limit movement, grunting, abduction of elbows, anorexia, weight loss.

What are signs of extremity pain?

Reluctance to move, abnormal gait, lameness, swelling, skin abrasions or lacerations, anorexia, weight loss.

What are signs of pain on urination (dysuria/inguinal discomfort)?

Stranguria, prolonged urination or dripping urine, grunting, restlessness, arching of the back, kicking at the abdomen, tail swishing, treading, recumbency.

What characterizes acute pain?

Immediately follows injury and disappears as the injury heals; defensive body responses; short-term pain; often associated with procedures like castration, dehorning, milking, tail docking, etc.

What characterizes chronic pain?

Lasts several weeks to months, persists beyond expected healing, does not serve a biological function, and imposes severe stresses; examples include cancer pain, neuropathic pain, endocrinopathy.

What is fever?

Elevated core body temperature (set point) caused by a variety of conditions (infectious, inflammatory, immunologic, neoplastic, injurious).

What are the benefits of fever?

Enhanced host defenses: increased neutrophil/monocyte motility and emigration, enhanced phagocytosis, increased O2 radical production, interferon production, antiviral/antitumor activity, and inhibition of certain bacterial growth.

What are adverse effects of fever above normal?

Anorexia, loss of protein, muscle wasting/weakness, potential cardiovascular compromise if prolonged.

What is hypothermia?

Decreased body temperature when environmental exposure overwhelms the body's heat production (cold, wet, windy conditions).

What are common causes of hypothermia?

Environmental exposure, CNS disease affecting hypothalamic regulation, neonatal status, cachexia, geriatrics, septicemia.

What are the clinical signs of hypothermia?

Lethargy, decreased ventilation, reduced muscle activity, and diminished reflexes.

What are the general mechanisms underlying respiratory distress?

Inadequate oxygenation of blood, compensation for metabolic acidosis, and CNS damage to respiratory centers; disorders can affect ventilation and energy expenditure.

Describe cough characteristics (upper vs lower respiratory).

Upper respiratory cough: loud, harsh, coarse, dry, nonproductive; lower respiratory cough: soft, deep, productive, may be associated with thoracic pain.

How is nasal discharge described?

Described by character (serous, mucoid, purulent, hemorrhagic, ingested material) and acuteness (acute vs insidious); also unilateral vs bilateral and volume.

What is dyspnea and tachypnea?

Dyspnea = difficult or labored breathing; tachypnea = abnormally rapid breathing.

What is a heave line and which disease is it associated with?

A visible line along the neck/with abdominal breathing (heave line) seen in cattle with contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) during severe respiratory distress.

List common signs of abdominal pain in horses (colic signs).

Looking or biting at sides, stretching, pawing, rolling, lip curling, not eating, restlessness, lying down, sweating, elevated heart rate and respiratory rate.

Name some causes of colic.

Distension, ischemia/infarction, ulcers; root of mesentery. In dogs/cats, general abdominal distress can arise from distension and obstruction.

What are signs of equine gastric ulcers (grading concept)?

Gastric ulcers range from mild to extensive lesions (grades 1–3 in common descriptions); signs include abnormal feeding behavior and colic-like signs (varies by grade).

Differentiate vomiting from regurgitation.

Vomiting is a centrally mediated, coordinated event often preceded by nausea and salivation with retching; regurgitation is the passive reflux of contents with no retching.

What are common causes of dysphagia?

Congenital defects, Hypsodont teeth issues, tooth root abscess, foreign body, ulcers/erosions, choke, Strangles, Rabies, Tetanus, snake bite.

What is icterus (jaundice) and its common causes?

Increased bilirubin; causes include hepatitis, bile stones, plant toxicity, liver flukes, liver abscesses, neonatal isoerythrolysis, Leptospira, piroplasmosis.

What is Neonatal Isoerythrolysis?

Hemolytic anemia in foal caused by dam's colostrum antibodies against foal RBC antigens; occurs 5 hours to 5 days after foaling; antibodies agglutinate/hemolyze foal RBCs.

What are peripheral edema and related fluid accumulations?

Edema: extracellular fluid accumulation in interstitial space; can be pleural effusion (thoracic cavity) or ascites (abdominal cavity); dependent edema is common.

What are the mechanisms underlying edema?

Increased capillary permeability and/or decreased return of capillary fluid to the vascular system, leading to interstitial fluid buildup.

What are common causes of edema?

Trauma, infection, endotoxemia, vasculitis; results in increased capillary permeability and exudation of fluid and proteins into the interstitium.

What are the common cardiac arrhythmias and their general causes?

Fast (tachycardia), slow (bradycardia), and irregular heartbeats; caused by excitement, autonomic imbalance, fever, sepsis, toxemia, colic, electrolyte abnormalities, pericarditis.

What can cause a cardiac murmur?

Anemia, excitement, valvular defects (aortic, pulmonic, mitral, tricuspid), fever, congenital defects.

What causes lymphadenopathy?

Infection or neoplasia; can be superficial or generalized.

What are common alterations in neurological function to recognize?

Ataxia (incoordination); conscious proprioception deficits; a range of signs from circling, paraplegia, hemiplegia, coma to depression.

What are typical neurological signs such as convulsions and head-related symptoms?

Convulsions/seizures, head pressing, head tilt, facial paralysis, muscle tremors/fasciculations; nystagmus and opisthotonus may be observed.

What is head pressing?

A neurological sign where an animal presses its head against objects due to CNS dysfunction.

What is opisthotonus?

Tetanic spasm with the spine and extremities bent backward; a sign of severe CNS disturbance.

What are dietary neuropathies and their common causes?

Neuropathy related to deficiencies (e.g., vitamins A, E, copper, selenium, magnesium, calcium) or energy imbalances; dietary sources can cause nervous system signs.

Give examples of plant toxicities affecting the nervous system.

Larkspur (alkaloids disrupt nerve impulses causing paralysis); Morning glory (disorientation and liver failure).

Name common toxicities that affect neuromuscular function.

Organophosphates (SLUD), antifreeze (nephrotoxicity), insecticides; other toxic agents can cause neurological signs.

What does rabies surveillance data in livestock illustrate?

Laboratory-confirmed rabies data show geographic distribution and species affected; highlights the importance of vaccination and biosafety.

What is hydrocephalus?

A condition characterized by excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain, leading to increased intracranial pressure and neurologic signs.

What changes can occur during late gestation or lactation affecting the nervous system?

Hypomagnesemia, hypocalcemia, nervous ketosis; gestational stage can influence susceptibility to neurologic signs.

What types of body weight changes indicate disease?

Weight loss due to diet, toxicity, parasites, infection, environment; obesity due to diet and metabolism; both have health implications.

What are common alterations in urinary function to recognize?

Dysuria, stranguria, urethral obstruction, urethral inflammation, urinary incontinence, decreased neuromuscular control, congenital or traumatic causes.

What is urethral obstruction and why is it clinically important?

Blockage of urine flow at the urethra, causing sudden or progressive urinary distress and potential life-threatening complications if not treated.

What is urolithiasis and a typical approach to treatment?

Formation of urinary stones; treatment involves medical management or surgical intervention to remove the stone and relieve obstruction.