This is what you would expect melenic stool to look like
What is tarry, black
200
This is a very important rule out for a cat that presents to the ER with an owner complaining of "constipation" (hint: this would be one of the more life threatening things the patient could have)
What is urinary tract obstruction
It takes a LONG time for constipation to be life threatening :)
300
Two common causes of bacterial diarrhea in dogs or cats
What is Salmonella, Clostridium, E.coli (verotoxin-producing), Campy, Yersinia
300
This type of diarrhea usually has weight loss
What is small bowel
300
This is the type of intestinal disease you would suspect in a patient with an albumin level of 1.5 mg/dl
What is protein losing enteropathy (would also accept lymphangectasia).
300
These are two changes you may see on bloodwork related to melena
What is increased BUN, decreased PCV/hematocrit, decreased total protein
300
This would be one of the two most common cancers found in the colon
What is adenocarcinoma (most)
lymphoma (second)
400
An endocrine cause of diarrhea
What is Addisons disease (hypoadrenocorticism
400
This type of diarrhea may prompt you to run colbalamin/folate levels
What is small bowel
400
This is the most classic disease associated with MALDIGESTION
What is exocrine pancreatic insufficiency
400
This is a preparation technique you MUST do if you plan on testing a dog or cat for melena using the fecal occult blood test
What is feed them a low protein diet ahead of time
400
This is the breed predisposed to a large bowel diarrhea with tenesmus that is likely due to bacterial invasion of E.coli into the wall - Hint: can be treated with Baytril
What is the Boxer
500
Two protozoal causes of diarrhea
What are giaradia, tritrichomonas, coccidia
500
These are four characteristics of large bowel diarrhea
What are
1) Lack of weight loss
2) Increased frequency of bowel movements
3) Decreased volume of feces per bowel movement
4) Hematochezia
5) Mucus
6) Tenesmus
500
These are three main underlying diseases that cause protein losing enteropathy
What are:
1) Severe inflammatory bowel disease
2) Lymphoma
3) Histoplasmosis
4) Lymphangectasia
5) Massive hookworm or whipworm.
500
This is something that we might give our patients in the ER that could cause stools that look like melena but actually isn't (hint: it's a benign treatment for a different condition).
What is activated charcoal
500
This is a "fungal like" disease seem most frequently in the southeast that can cause intestinal granulomas and tenesmus