Disease Diagnosis & Control - Physical Examination 1

Flashcards about Disease Diagnosis & Control - Physical Examination 1

What do we look for in General appearance

Awareness/attitude, body condition, movement

Name Vital Signs

Temperature, pulse, respiration, capillary refill time (CRT), colour of mucous membranes, hydration status

What do we look for when monitoring the heart?

Sounds, rhythm

Name adjectives for how we analyse a Pulse

Strength, regularity

What do we look for in Abdominal palpation?

Abnormal masses, pain, splinting of the abdomen

What do observe about Manure?

Amount, colour, odour, consistency

How do we observe the Lymph nodes?

Shape, size, pain, symmetry

What do we Observe / Look at overall

Discharges, Colour changes in coat, Mucous membrane colour, Lesions / wounds / sores, Lumps / swellings, Symmetry

Why do we Palpate / Feel around the animal?

Look for pain & tense muscles, swellings (particularly lymph nodes), joint laxity / stiffness, specific responses, Pulses

Hyperthermia

Body temperature above normal range

Hypothermia

Body temperature below normal range

Causes of Hyperthermia

Pyrexia, fever which are febrile responses. They can be initiated by exogenous pyrogens e.g. drugs, toxins and viral/bacterial products called endotoxins. All of these increase the hypothalamic set-point. Nonfebrile causes are heat stroke, exercise induced hyperthermia and seizures. These do not alter the hypothalamic set point.

Causes of Hypothermia

Hypothermia include exposure to cold, poor peripheral blood circulation ( e.g. under anaesthesia, newborn, dehydration, toxaemia, blood loss, terminal disease) and reduced rumen activity in ruminants. An example is ‘Milk Fever’ in cows - a calcium deficiency.

Causes of Pyrexia

Infectious disease, Inflammatory disease, malignancies, autoimmune disorders, tissue trauma, necrosis and drug reactions that lead to fever.

How is body temperature regulated?

Body temperature is regulated by the hypothalamus (which acts as a thermostat), which receives input from thermoreceptors. Each animal has a set-point for temperature. The temperature is adjusted through mechanisms such as sweating, shivering, and blood flow changes to maintain homeostasis.

Percussion

Mostly used to detect fluid and gas accumulationin body cavities, assess organ size and density, or identify tenderness over specific areas.

What does Auscultate mean?

To listen with a stheoscope