Neuropath: metabolic disease of periparturient ruminant

Clinical presentation of hypomagnesaemia

Can be acute or gradual, depending on diet

Anorexia, isolation, hyperexcitability

Tetanic muscle spasms/tremors

Staggering, ataxia, recumbency

Convulsions, seizures, opisthotonos

Salivation, frothing at mouth

Snapping eyelids

Death occurs due to respiratory failure during seizure

Often occurs concurrently with hypocalcaemia in sheep.

Clinical presentation of Hypocalcaemia

Cattle:

Affects high-producing cows shortly after parturition.

Wobbly, trembling all over body, teeth grinding = early signs

Downer cow, head turned to flank

lethargic, weak rapid pulse, cool extremities, muscle fasciculations, no ruminal contractions

Progresses to lateral recumbency, flaccid paralysis.

Coma and death if left untreated

Sheep:

Affects older ewes in late gestation or early lactation

Depression, weakness, ruminal stasis, bloat, coma, death

Clinical presentation of ketosis in cattle (12)

Anorexia

Weight/condition loss

Drop in milk

Constipation

CNS signs = circling, staggering, licking, bellowing, hyperesthesia, headpressing, trembling

Acetone breath

Clinical presentation of ketosis in sheep (12)

1-3 weeks before parturition

Selective anorexia

Increased recumbency

Aimless walking, muscle twitching, fine muscle tremors

Opisthotonos

Grinding teeth

Blindness, ataxia

Sternal recumbency

Coma and death

What do all these large animal tubes contain (left to right)

• Heparin (plasma biochemistry)

• Nothing (serum biochemistry)

• Gel and heparin (rarely used)

• Nothing

• NaK-EDTA (haematology and cytology)

• Sodium citrate (coagulation testing)

What samples do you get from: aqueous humour and vitreous humour?

Aqueous = Ketones/ BHBs, Calcium

Vitreous = Urea, Magnesium

Post-mortem of heavily pregnant ewe found dead. Pregnant with 3 lambs. Diagnosis?

Ketosis/Pregnancy toxaemia/twin lamb disease. Causes hepatic lipidosis.

2 things to test for when determining ewes at risk of ketosis

Urine ketone concentration

Increased serum BHB concentrations

What is this in a calf?

Arnold-Chiari malformation

What is this condition in a cat?

Lissencephaly

What is this in a goat?

Abscess

What is this in a cow? Diagnostic test.

Cerebrocortical necrosis

Autofluorescence under UV light

What condition has this calf got in its spinal cord?

Diastematomyelia

What condition has this lamb got?

Cerebellar hypoplasia

What is this structure called?

Cauda equina

What condition has this pig got?

Meningoceles

What condition does this sheep have? Causative agent?

Gid

Taenia multiceps causing cerebral coenurus

What disease does this chicken have?

Mareks disease

What condition has this calf got?

Diprosopus

What type of pathogen?

Bacterial

What causative agent of diffusely red brain in cow

Babesia bovis

What does this horse have?

Abscess

What condition has this horse got?

Cervical vertebral stenotic myelopathy

What is this condition in a cow?

Hydranencephaly