Companion Animal Health

What does the health disorder pnemonic DAMNIT stand for?

degenerative, developmental, anomalies, allergies, metabolic, miscellaneous, nutritional, neoplastic, infectious, inflammatory, immune mediated, toxic, traumatic

What is the average life span of dogs and cats?

cats 12-14 yrs dogs lots of variety toy breeds 14-15 large dogs 9-10 years

Why are biannual exams important?

for preventative medicine shows BCS, mentation, life stage specifics, vaccinations, preventative medicine like parasites

What is the normal dog TPR?

101.5-102.5 F, heart rate - 60-160 bpm, respiratory rate - 10-30 breathes per minute

What is the normal TPR for a cat?

99-103 (101.5-102.5) F, heart rate - 150-230 bpm, respiratory rate - 20-30 breathes per minute

How do you check heart rate?

using stethoscope listen to heart for 15 seconds then times by 4

How do you check respiration?

observe flank for 15 seconds times 4

How do you check body temperature?

using F either rectal or ear but rectal best

What are some important areas of preventative medicine?

observe instinct behaviors often, pet proof home, sanitize

What is the definition of a vaccine?

attenuated weakened biological agent that is cable of stimulating an immune response, bot 100% but greatly reduce severity and frequency of infections administered IM, intranasally, or subcutaneous

How do vaccines work?

uses a mechanism complex that involves many chemical and cellular reactions within and between the immune system cells of the body to expose naive immune system to viral and bacterial antigens so in the future the body will recognize and address pathogen earlier

What are the different types of vaccines?

killed vaccines - comprised of whole viruses which have been killed adjuvants unable to replicate in body so can’t cause disease ex rabies shot, MLV - weakened pathogen replicates in host but can’t produce disease stimulates a strong active immune response, Intranasal - short DOI local immunity by IgA response good for upper respiratory like kennel cough

How long are puppies and kittens protected by maternally derived antibodies?

8-12 weeks, so don’t vaccinate cause may interfere but vaccinate as soon as levels decline with DHPP, rabies, and leptospirosis for puppies and FVRCP, rabies and FeLV for kittens

Who published the revised version of guidelines regarding canine vaccinations and when?

American Animal Hospital Associations’s Canine Taske Force in 2006

What are core vaccines?

considered vital to all dogs based on risk of exposure severity of disease or transmissibility to humans

What are non-core vaccines?

given depending on the dog’s exposure risk-dog’s lifestyle and geographic distribution of disease

What are some adverse reactions to vaccines in dogs and cats?

typically very small but anaphylaxis is major issue often in young adult small breed dogs receiving multiple vaccinations but most time just feeling icky and local irritation

What is vaccine failure?

failure to induce protective immunity cause be due to maternal antibody persistence, vaccine mishandling, expired vaccines, ill or immunosuppressed animals who fail to mount an immune response

What are they types of infectious diseases of dogs and cats?

bacterial, helminth, rickettsial, mycoplasma, fungal, viral

What are emerging zoonotic diseases?

caused by new agents or previously known agents in new places or species, higher risk because increasing human population and expansion into new areas increased contact with wildlife, and increased amount of global traffic

What is important about abscesses?

type of bacterial disease defined as a pocket of infection either in skin or below skin filled with pus and grow quickly but body walls it off to protect animal can break out and drain, area is generally warm to touch, common hair loss or redness, caused by fights penetrating bite wounds cats have pasturell sp, treat using antibiotics and draining

What is important about bordetellosis?

type of bacterial disease caused by bordetella bronchiseptica, infectious tracheobronchitis, highly contagious upper respiratory infection in dogs and cats prevent using vaccines common in kennels boarding dog/cat shows

What is important about borreliosis?

aka lyme disease type of bacterial infection transmitted by ixodes ticks, humans get rash dogs don’t they have lameness decreased appetite legthary fever

What is important about cat scratch disease?

type of bacterial disease caused by species bartonella people can get infected domestic cats major reservoir also fleas involved

What is important about leptospirosis?

type of bacterial disease caused by spiral shaped leptospires bacteria is zoonotic occurs worldwide transmission is through urine of infected animals bacteria enters through mucous membranes, dogs cats cattle pigs rodents infect kidneys liver brain lung and heart

What is important about pyoderma?

type of bacterial disease caused by staphylococcus pseudintermedius not contagious or zoonotic mild to severe localized to hot spots treatments are antibiotic and topicals

What are mycoplasms?

genus of bacteria that lack cell walls and peptidoglycan so vary hard to kill

What is important about mycoplasma hemofelis?

type of mycoplasma disease that infects RBCs of cats and causes feline infectious anemia mild to severe need transfusions tetracyclines treat

What is important about Rickettsia sp?

type of rickettsial disease genus of obligate intracellular gram negative bacteria

What is important about Ehrlichiosis?

type of rickettsial disease caused by Ehrlichia transmitted by ticks mostly in southeast and southwest in US animals do not serve as direct sources for zoonotic transmission of organisms but simple increase chances for human contact

What is important about rocky mountain spotted fever?

type of rickettsial disease caused by rickettsia rickettsii transmitted by dermacentor ticks causes fever bruising bleeding lymphadenopathy

What are important zoonotic bacterial infections?

Leptospirosis, Group A streptococcus- reverse zoonosis, Bartonella, Brucella and more

What is important about dermatophytosis?

type of fungal infection caused by ringworm fungus lives in hair nails skin claws and in environment three species microsporum canis, microsporum gypseum and trichophyton, diagnosis using a Wood lights test and treat with antifungal is zoonotic

What is important malassezia?

aka yeast dermatitis type of fungal infection of normal flora that is commonly found in ear canal interdigital areas anal sacs vagine and rectum but turns into overgrowth and is stinky and itchy with hair loss ear and skin infections diagnosis by skin scraps and treat using antifungal or medicated shampoo

What is important about blastomycosis?

type of fungal infections from soil fungus blastomyces dermatitidis found in mississippi missouri ohio river valley and mid atlantic states, spores inhaled with young male large breed dogs most at risk causes coughing pneumonia weight loss draining skin lesions lymphadenopathy treat using antifungals

What is important about histoplasmosis?

type of fungal infection, caused by histoplasma capsulatum from contaminated soil with bird or bat droppings causing coughing fungal pneumonia fever diarrhea weight loss treated with antifungals

What are important zoonotic fungal infections?

Dermatophytes, Sporothrix - found worldwide in soils with decaying matter transmitted through penetrating injury or contact considered emerging zoonotic, Sporotrichosis - multinodular condition on the trunk or head use gloves