Gastrointestinal
A 4 yr old Holstein presents for anorexia and decreased milk production. A ping is auscultated on the left side of the abdomen between ribs 10-13. On rectal palpation the rumen is medially displaced, and the cow is pregnant. What is your top differential?
Left Displaced Abomasum
A 4-year-old beef cow grazing on lush spring pasture is found suddenly down, with muscle tremors, staggering, and episodes of seizures. The farmer reports the cow was bright and eating normally earlier that day. On exam, the cow is hyperesthetic and has muscle spasms. What is the most likely cause?
Grass tetany- Hypomagnesemia
A down cow with hypocalcemia presents to your clinic with twins. A neonatal exam reveals there is one bull calf and one heifer calf. What potential abnormality may be seen in these calves?
Freemartinism
Name an anatomical feature that makes intubation of large ruminants more difficult.
Obligate nasal breathers, soft palate long and tightly apposed to the base of tongue, narrow trachea, Torus lingua
You are called to de horn a heifer and find that the only sedative on the ambulatory truck is an alpha 2 adrenergic agonist. What breed is highly sensitive to this class of drug?
Brahman
A 2-year-old doe here in Louisiana presents in mid-summer with lethargy, weight loss, and a swollen area beneath her jaw. She has not had any diarrhea, and is dewormed once a month with Ivermectin. On physical exam you notice her mucous membranes are pale with FAMACHA score of 4. What is the most likely cause?
Haemonchus contortus (Barberpole worm)
$100 Bonus: What does FAMACHA stand for?
A group of recently weaned pigs housed indoors suddenly start showing nervous signs including blindness, circling, head pressing, and seizures. The only recent management change is he put out kiddie pools yesterday for the pigs to cool off in. One pig submitted for necropsy reveals eosinophilic cuffing and cerebral edema. What is the most likely cause of this presentation?
Salt toxicity/ Water deprivation syndrome
A 2-day-old cria presents with severe respiratory distress characterized by open-mouth breathing, cyanosis, and inability to nurse properly. Physical exam reveals normal lung sounds but persistent upper airway obstruction. An endoscopic exam confirms a congenital obstruction at the junction between the nasal cavity and the pharynx. What is this congenital malformation?
Choanal atresia
A group of 10-week-old outdoor pigs begins showing signs of a soft, moist cough, mild tachypnea, and poor weight gain. You note that the pigs are otherwise bright, afebrile, and eating. Necropsy of one affected pig reveals white fibrotic lesions on the liver, and eosinophilic infiltration in the lungs without significant consolidation. Fecal floatation is negative for eggs. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Ascaris suum, verminous pneumonia
An 8-year-old Hereford cow is presented with chronic tearing, squinting, and a raised, ulcerative, non-healing mass at the medial canthus of the right eye. The lesion has progressively enlarged over the past few months. The cow is otherwise healthy, but the lesion has begun to bleed and interfere with vision. The farm is located in a high-altitude region with frequent sun exposure. What is the most likely condition affecting this cow?
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
A 9 yr old Jersey cow presents for chronic weight loss and watery diarrhea. Owner says he is giving her buffet of food but she isnt putting weight back on. What bacterium is the most likely cause?
Mycobacterum avium subspp paratuberculosis
A 4-year-old ewe is found down in the pasture, weak and icteric, with red-brown urine. She had shown signs of lethargy and poor appetite over the last few days. Bloodwork reveals anemia and elevated liver enzymes. Some of her sheep have also been acting lethargic but her goats seem fine. What is the most likely cause?
Copper Toxicity
A 6-year-old multiparous Holstein dairy cow at approximately 8 months gestation is presented with progressive abdominal distension over the past two weeks. The cow is tachypneic and reluctant to move. On rectal palpation, the uterus is markedly enlarged with fluid-filled compartments, and the fetal parts are difficult to discern. The farmer reports the cow had a retained placenta after her last calving but no history of abortion. Vital signs show mild dehydration and elevated heart rate. Ultrasound confirms excessive anechoic fluid in the uterine lumen without significant fetal edema. Bloodwork reveals mild hypoproteinemia. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Hydro's Allantois
A 6-month-old cria presents with intermittent fever, lethargy, pale mucous membranes, and tachypnea. On physical exam, you notice mild tachycardia and a systolic heart murmur. The owner reports recent stress due to weaning and transport. Blood smear reveals small, coccoid-shaped organisms attached to red blood cells. CBC shows anemia and mild leukocytosis.
Mycoplasma haemolamae
A 5-year-old alpaca presents with lethargy,
bruxism, and intermittent colic-like behavior. The owner reports a recent period of stress due to herd relocation. On physical exam, the animal is mildly tachycardic and shows signs of abdominal discomfort. Feces are scant and dark. A fecal occult blood test is weakly positive, and abdominocentesis is unremarkable.
Compartment C3 (gastric) ulcers
You are called to a beef farm with 50 cows and calves. The producer reports that over the past three weeks, several 2- to 5-week-old calves have developed fever, nasal discharge, and coughing. Despite treatment with oxytetracycline, some continue to lose weight. One 8 mo old calf was found dead in the pasture this morning and the producer noticed oral lesions in its mouth.
The producer also mentions that a cow aborted last month, and another recently calved a weak, trembling calf that is struggling to stand. A few adult cows have developed intermittent diarrhea, but they remain alert and continue eating. The farm does not have a vaccination program for reproductive or respiratory diseases.
Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus
A 2-year-old Nubian doe presents with profuse salivation, vomiting, diarrhea, and is weak and trembling. Her heart rate is 40 bpm. The owner reports she had access to a freshly trimmed ornamental shrub bordering the property. What plant is the most likely cause?
Azalea Toxicity
A commercial goat farm reports multiple does experiencing late-term abortions and delivery of weak kids over the past month. The does appear otherwise healthy, but placentas from aborted fetuses show thickening and necrosis of cotyledons. Farm workers involved in kidding report mild flu-like illness. Laboratory testing identifies an obligate intracellular bacterium. What is the diagnosis?
Enzootic abortion
Chlamydophila abortus
A 9-month-old Angus steer in a feedlot presents with a 2-day history of lethargy, decreased feed intake, and increased respiratory effort. On physical exam, the animal has a temperature of 104.7°F (40.4°C), tachypnea, and harsh lung sounds predominantly in the cranioventral thorax. You observe mucopurulent nasal discharge and a moist, productive cough.
You auscultate crackles and wheezes bilaterally. Several other steers in the same pen have shown similar signs in recent days. Thoracic ultrasound shows consolidation and pleural roughening in the cranioventral lung lobes. A deep nasopharyngeal swab is submitted for culture, which yields a Gram-negative, beta-hemolytic coccobacillus that is catalase and oxidase positive.
Which of the following best describes the most likely diagnosis?
Shipping Fever associated with Manheimia hemolyticum
A 3-year-old dairy goat presents with chronic joint swelling and intermittent lameness, most notably in the carpal joints. The animal is otherwise bright, with a good appetite, but the owner reports that several kids born this season have shown progressive hind limb weakness and ataxia. No fever is noted. What is likely affecting this herd?
Caprine arthritis and encephalitis virus
A dairy producer has a herd of 300 cows, and keeps calves in hutches nearby. A large group of his older calves have been coughing, and ond others have been lethargic and dehydrated. Several calves 3 week to 4 months old have died suddenly and the producer mentions that he found a mostly developed fetus that was aborted out in the field. He mentions that some of the cows have diarrhea but no respiratory signs and there has been a decrease in milk production. What is the most likely causative agent?
Salmonella enterica serovar Dublin
A 3-month-old alpaca cria born in late fall is presented in January with a history of progressive reluctance to stand and walk. The owners report that the cria has been indoors with minimal sunlight exposure and was growing slowly. On physical exam, you note a pot-bellied appearance, valgus limb deformities, and noticeable bowing of the long bones. Radiographs reveal generalized osteopenia and widened physes. Bloodwork shows hypocalcemia and hypophosphatemia.
Vitamin D deficiency/ Ricketts
A 300-sow farrow-to-finish operation reports a recent increase in late-term abortions and stillbirths. Newborn piglets are often weak and fail to thrive. Some nursery pigs develop a persistent, non-productive cough with intermittent fever. Mortality has risen in the weaning age group over the past month. The herd is routinely vaccinated for Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and swine influenza virus. No signs of diarrhea or neurologic disease are noted.
PRRSV
A swine producer reports increased coughing and reduced weight gain in a group of 12-week-old grower pigs. Several pigs have shown signs of dyspnea and a "thumping" respiratory pattern. The morbidity is high, but mortality is low.
On physical exam, affected pigs are febrile and have serous to mucopurulent nasal discharge. Necropsy of one recently euthanized pig reveals well-demarcated, dark red areas of consolidation in the cranioventral lung lobes, with failure of the lungs to collapse. There is mild pleuritis, but no significant fibrinous exudate.
Mycoplasma hyopneumonia
A 3-year-old female goat in a mixed herd presents with sudden blindness and aimless wandering. The owner reports recent changes in diet, including access to lush pasture and increased grain supplementation. On exam, the goat has mild ataxia, muscle tremors, and intermittent head pressing, but no fever. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis shows mild protein elevation without pleocytosis. Bloodwork reveals mild metabolic acidosis and elevated serum sulfur levels. What disease is this and what can be used to treat it?
Polioencephalomalacia
Thiamine