Lecture 4 - Oral cavity

How does the oral cavity protect against infection?

-Abundant lymph tissue (ex. tonsils)

-Saliva contains antibacterial substances (IgA)

-Commensal microflora

Why may it be detrimental that the oral cavity has a high turnover rate?

Can lead to more aggressive neoplasms

What are two types of developmental anomalies in the oral cavity? What is a common sequelae of each?

1. Palatschisis (cleft palate)

2. Chelioschisis (hare lip)

-Aspiration pneumonia

What is Palatoschisis?

-Cleft palate

-Failure of fusion of palatine process in utero

What is Cheiloschisis?

-Hare lip

-Failure of philtrum to fuse to create solid upper lip

What is stomatitis, gingivitis, and glossitis? What are common causes? What are common signs?

-Inflammation of oral cavity, gums, and tongue

-Usually viral causing erosions/ulcers

-Off feed, irritable, drooling

What causes vesicular stomatidites? In what creatures?

Viral lesions in hoofed animals

What are signs of vesicular stomatidites? What should you do if you suspect one?

-Multifocal vesicles progressing to erosive/ulcerative lesions on coronary bands of hooves, nasal cavity, teats, and occasionally esophagus

-Report to state vet

What are the big four vesicular diseases? What species do they affect?

1. Foot and mouth disease - ruminants, swine

2. Swine vesicular disease - swine

3. Vesicular stomatitis - ruminants, swine, equid, human

4. Vesicular exanthema of swine - swine

What do vesicular diseases look like histologically?

-Confined to epithelium

-Cell swelling, necrosis, and lysis in stratum spinosum with vesicle formation

-Influx of neutrophils and fibrin deposition

What are 5 viral causes of erosive/ulcerative stomatidites? What species do they affect?

1. Bovine viral diarrhea - cattle

2. Malignant caterrhal fever - cattle

3. Feline caliciviral infection - horses

4. Viral rhinotracheitis - horse

5. Bluetongue - small ruminants

What are two metabolic causes of erosive/ulcerative stomatidites? In what species?

1. Vitamin C deficiency - primates and guinea pigs

2. Uremia - dogs and cats

What causes papular stomatidites? What are the two major diseases and what species are they found in?

-Poxviruses

1. Bovine papular stomatitis - cattle

2. Contagious ecthyma - sheep and goats (zoonotic)