Small Animal Nursing II Exam 1

Tumor

swelling of a tissue caused by an abnormal growth of cells

Metastasis

spread of cancer from its origin to other sites

Local metastasis

spreading to regional lymph nodes

Distant metastasis

spreading to other organs, including lung (common) and liver

Benign tumor

a tumor that is unlikely to metastasize; can still have a neg impact on quality of life

Malignant tumor or cancer

a tumor w/ the potential to metastasize

What’s the gold standard for figuring out what type of tumor it is?

Biopsy

Grading

based on microscopic features correlated to a tumor’s likely behavior

Staging

process of performing diagnostic tests to determine the extent of cancer within the body

Palliative radiation therapy

Is meant to help manage symptoms, rather than curing the cancer. It can be used to shrink a tumor, slow down tumor growth, or to reduce or relieve symptoms like pain and bleeding

Definitive radiation therapy

Is meant to cure the cancer, by eliminating the tumor

Complete remission

all of the grossly detectable tumor is gone

Partial remission

most of the grossly detectable tumor is gone

Stable disease

the tumor hasn’t gotten smaller, but it also hasn’t grown

Progressive disease

the tumor is growing or new tumors have formed

What are some examples of local therapy options?

• Surgery

• Radiation therapy

What are some examples of systemic therapy options?

• Cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs (traditional chemotherapy)

• Small-molecule inhibitors (targeted chemotherapy)

• Immunotherapy (vaccines, antibodies, immune system stimulants)

Lymphoma occurs most commonly in what type of dogs?

• Middle aged to older dogs

• Golden retriever, boxer, lab, basset hound

What is the most common primary tumor of bone in the dog?

Osteosarcoma

What are some of the acute effects of radiation therapy?

• Alopecia

• Dry Desquamation

• Moist Desquamation

• Mucositis

Desquamation

shedding or peeling of the outermost layer of skin

What is the gold standard treatment for lymphoma?

CHOP protocol

What is the most common skin cancer in dogs?

Mast cell tumor

What type of dog breeds are predisposed to mast cell tumors?

Brachycephalic breeds

Mast cells are involved in —-

hypersensitivity/allergic reactions

Mast cells granules contain—-

histamine, proteases, and heparin

What does treatment look like for mast cell tumors?

• Wide local resection whenever possible

• Chemotherapy indicated for high grade or metastatic MCTs

Hemangiosarcoma most commonly occurs where?

• Most frequently occurs in the spleen

  • Undetected until they rupture

  • Acute, non-tramatic hemoabdomen

• Also occurs on the heart

Transitional cell carcinoma

• most common tumor of the urinary tract, but uncommon tumor in general

What breeds are at risk for transitional cell carcinoma?

• Scottish Terriers

• West Highland White Terriers, Shetland sheep dogs, Beagles, Wire Haired Fox Terrier

Increased risk factors for TCC

• Breed

• Exposure to old flea dips

• Exposure to herbicides

• Cystocentesis risks spreading TCC

Feline injection site sarcomas (FISS)

• Associated with vaccination and other injection sites

• Incidence rate is low around 1/10,000 vaccine doses administered

Oral squamous cell carcinoma

• Most common oral tumor of cats

• Can develop anywhere in the mouth (tongue, pharynx, tonsils, gingiva)

• Locally invasive - invades and destroys underlying bone

With OSCC most cats die due to —-

local disease, rather than metastasis

What are some chemotherapy side effects?

• Myelosuppression (bone marrow)

• Gastrointestinal disturbances

• Alopecia

Aural hematoma

Fluctuant, fluid filled swellings on the concave surface of the pinna from fractured cartilage in either cats or dogs

Otitis externa

Acute or chronic inflammation of the epithelium of the external ear canal

Erythema

Redness of the skin: related to vasodilation or free hemorrhage

Alopecia

absence of hair

Pruritus

itchiness

Papule

Small solid elevation of the skin < 1 cm in diameter; if larger and flat topped: plaque

Pustule

Small (<1cm) circumscribed elevation of the skin filled with pus; if > 1 cm: abscess

Nodule

small, circumscribed solid elevation extending into deeper layers of the skin

Seborrhea

Conditions characterized by increased epidermal turnover and changes in the quantity or quality of sebum; may be greasy or dry

Lichenification

Thickening of the skin characterized by exaggeration of superficial markings; characteristic of chronic dermatitis

Hyperkeratosis

Increase in thickness of the horny layer of the skin

Epidermal collarette

pustule ruptures leaves a rim of dead keratin

Pyoderma

bacterial infection involving the skin

Acute moist dermatitis

• Rapid onset of a painful and erythematous lesion, that can be swollen, alopecic and exudative

• Clip and clean the area make sure to dry it. Treat with anti-inflammatories

Apoquel

• Janus Kinase inhibitor

• Blocks protein integral to signaling pathway resulting in pruritus and inflammation

• Dogs only at this time; off label use for cats

Cytopoint

• caninized monoclonal antibody that targets the cytokine interleukin (IL)-31 blocking the itch signal to the brain

• Dogs only

Common clinical signs of Otitis Externa

• Head shaking

• Scratching the ears

• Odor

• Painful when the ears are touched

• In severe cases, owners report discharge from the ear or decreased ability to hear

Otodectes cynotis (ear mites)

• Mild to marked accumulation of dark brown to black waxy or crusty exudate in the ear canals

• Intense puritus: secondary

Dermatophytosis

• Infections of the hair shaft and follicle

• Contagious and zoonotic

• Areas of circular, irregular, or diffuse alopecia with variable scaling

Lupoid Onychodystrophy

• Lupus-like disease causing loss of the nails

• Highest incidence in young adult and middle-aged dogs

• Painful

Brucellosis (brucella canis)

• Contagious bacterial infection

• Zoonotic

• Late term abortions (7-9 weeks), orchitis, diskospondylitis, uveitis

• Negative within last 6 months

• Screening: rapid card or tube agglutination test

• Isolate animal from the pregnant, young, or old

• Shed in urine, semen, saliva, mucous

Herpesvirus

• Isolation is critical

• 3 weeks pre/post whelping

• Transmission: aerosol, venereal, in utero

• Abortion, premature birth, stillbirths, neonatal death

Proestrus

• 9 days

• Serosanguinous discharge

• Increase estrogen

• Parabasal cells, intermediate cells, transitioned into a few anuclear cells, many RBCs, WBCs

Estrus

• 9 days

• LH (luteinizing hormone) surge

• Estrogen decrease, progesterone increase

• Vaginal cytology: 70-80% anuclear superficial cells, lots of superficial

Diestrus

• 65 days

• Progesterone increase

• Reappearance of parabasal, WBC

What are the 4 types of vaginal cytology cells and are they cornified or not?

• Anuclear - cornified

• Superficial - cornified

• Intermediate - non-cornified

• Parabasal - non-cornified

• PISA

Estrous cycle order

Proestrus → Estrus → Diestrus → Anestrus

Anestrus

• 4-5 months

• Decrease in progesterone

• Parabasal, intermediate is dominant

What are some tools to determine timing of ovulation

• Witness LH test

• Progesterone

Ovulation occurs how many days after LH surge?

2-3 days

What is the common progesterone test and how often is it performed?

ELISA; every 2-3 days

What are the three stages of parturition?

Stage 1 - uterine and abdominal contractions

Stage 2 - cervix dilated, puppies moving through birth canal

Stage 3 - expulsion of fetal membranes

What can cause prolonged estrus?

• Ovarian cysts

• Ovarian tumors

• Pathological liver function

• Exogenous estrogens

What are some causes of vulvar discharge?

• Infection

• Chemical irritation from urine or other instilled substances

• Foreign bodies

• Neoplasia

• Pyometra

• Ovarian remnant syndrome

• Congenital anomalies and trauma

What are some clinical signs of vulvar discharge

excessive licking, pruritis, hematuria, dysuria

Pseudopregnancy

• 1-3 months after estrus

• Mammary gland development and galactorrhea

• Nesting behavior and adoption of stuffed animals

Canine gestation can last how long?

57-72 days

What are some ways to predict parturition?

• Temperature drop

  • Declines 1 full degree (often <99 F)

  • Begins to whelp within 24 hours

• Progesterone

  • Declines to <1ng.ml 24-48 hours prior to whelping

• Radiographs

  • 45 days after LH surge

• Ultrasonography

  • not used for puppy count

  • primary used for assessment of fetal viability

How much time should there be between puppy births?

30 minutes - 1 hour

What is gestation length in felines?

65-66 days

Agalactia

• Failure to provide milk to neonates

• Premature parturition, severe stress, malnutrition, debility, metritis, or mastitis

Mastitis

• Septic inflammation of the mammary gland, may be acute or chronic

Ovarian Remnant Syndrome

• Retention of active ovarian tissue

• Most commonly due to improper clamping ovarian pedicle an ovariectomy or ovariohysterectomy

• Vaginal bleeding, swelling of vulva, attraction of males

• Surgical excision of the remnant of tissue

Stump pyometra

• Result of incomplete OHE

Paraphimosis

• Protrusion of the nonerect penis with an inability to retract the penis back into the prepuce

• Idiopathic

Priapism

Persistent erection of the penis without sexual stimulation

Phimosis

Inability to extrude the penis

Primary infertility

Never been fertile ex. testicular hypoplasia

Acquired infertility

secondary to inciting cause ex. trauma, fever, age, orchitis, Brucellosis, epididymitis, hormonal disturbance

For semen evaluation, what percentage of the sperm should be motile?

70%

Hypocalcemia

• Anxiety apprehension, disorientation, hypersalvation, shivering, muscle tremors, clonic-tonic sizures

• Calcium administration

• Supplement calcium after

• Supplement puppies

Postpartum metritis

• Usually due to whelping in unhygienic conditions

• Dirty obstetrical procedures

• Fever, depression, foul-smelling vaginal discharge

• Fluid therapy, antibiotics based on sensitivity

Lacrimal system

Tear film covers cornea & conjunctiva and protects ocular surface

What are the three layers of the lacrimal system?

• Mucin

• Aqueous

• Lipid

Where do tears drain from?

the nasolacrimal duct

Cornea

• Clear surface of the eye

• Less than 1mm thick

• Refracts and transmits light

• Highly innervated

What are the four layers of the cornea?

1. Epithelium

2. Stroma

3. Descemet’s membrane

4. Endothelium

Aqueous humor

• Ultrafiltered clear plasma

• Produced by ciliary body

• Fills front of eye (anterior and posterior chambers)

Vitreous humor

• Gel-like substance in back of eye (vitreous chamber)

• Made by ciliary body as an embryo and then production becomes stagnant

Lens

• Refracts light

• Viewed through the pupil

How is the lens held in place?

by zonules

What parts of the eye are contained in the posterior chamber?

• Vitreous

• Optic nerve

• Retina

• Tapetum

• Non-tapetum

Neonatal Opthalmia

• Caused by infection beneath the closed eyelids

• Staphylococcal most common

• To treat: open eyelids, take culture, clean eyes, DVM to dispense antibiotics, lubricate

Eyelid Agenesis

• Absence of all or part of the eyelid

• Improper blinking

• Hair irritation

• Ulceration

• Treatment: surgical reconstruction, lubrication

Dermoid

• Non-cancerous growths of normal skin in abnormal places (the eye)

• Treatment: surgical removal