Disorders of the oral cavity and teeth
After chewing on sharp forage that penetrated its oral mucosa, a cow develops a stiff, fibrotic swelling of the tongue; histology shows granulomas with centrally located Gram-negative bacilli rimmed by radiating, club-like eosinophilic immunoglobulin structures
What is Wooden tongue (Actinobacillus Lignieresii)
While passing a stomach tube in a pig, a veterinarian must be careful not to get caught in this normal, species-specific anatomical blind pouch located in the pharynx
What is the Pharyngeal Diverticulum
A dog eats a large meal, causing distension of its gut wall; this specific local nerve network, located between the circular and longitudinal muscle layers, responds to the stretch by stimulating smooth muscle to increase motility
What is the Myenteric Plexus
7 main functions of the Monogastric Stomach
Food Storage: The stomach temporarily holds food, allowing digestion to proceed gradually.
Mechanical Digestion: Muscular contractions (peristalsis) churn and mix food with gastric juices to form a semi-liquid substance called chyme.
Chemical Digestion: Protein digestion: Pepsin breaks down proteins into peptides.
Fat digestion: Gastric lipase helps in the initial breakdown of fats.
Carbohydrate digestion: Salivary amylase continues acting on carbohydrates until deactivated by stomach acid.
Regulation of Digestion: Hormones such as gastrin stimulate acid secretion and gastric motility.
The pyloric sphincter controls the release of chyme into the small intestine for further digestion and absorption
A hound dog with a chronic Spirocerca lupi infection develops a malignant mesenchymal tumor in its esophagus; the veterinarian suspects it is this specific type of cancer, which is uniquely driven by the parasite's chronic granulomatous inflammation
What is a Fibrosarcoma
A neonatal kitten is brought to the clinic because it is starving and unable to suckle properly; an examination reveals a communication between the oral and nasal cavities caused by the failure of the lateral palatine processes to fuse
What is a Cleft Palate (Palatoschisis)
This specific cranial nerve provides parasympathetic motor innervation to the skeletal muscle portions of the esophagus in dogs and ruminants, enhancing peristalsis
What is the Vagus Nerve
A dog with severe pancreatic dysfunction presents with anemia and nerve dysfunction; tests reveal a deficiency in Vitamin B12, which could not be absorbed in the ileum due to a lack of this specific glycoprotein
What is Intrinsic Factor
A surgeon operating on a dog's stomach must ligate vessels carefully, knowing that the left and right gastroepiploic arteries form an extensive anastomosis along this specific anatomical border
What is the greater curvature
What supplies the Lesser Curvature? Gastric arteries
A dog from a warm climate presents with sudden hemothorax and dysphagia; necropsy reveals the rupture of an aortic aneurysm caused by the migration of this specific dung-beetle-transmitted nematode toward the esophageal submucosa
What is Spirocerca Lupi
A cat presents with a gray-green pseudomembrane on its tongue after prolonged intravenous fluid and antibiotic use, which allowed colonization by a sugar-loving organism
What is Thrush (Candida albicans infection)
These are the important Species differences in a horse
a. Obligate nasal breather due to long but narrow pharynx, longer soft palate that lies beneath the epiglottic cartilage and Gutteral Pouches (modified eustachian/auditory tubes connected to the nasopharynx)
b. What about pigs? Larger pharynx (pharyngeal diverticulum)
c. Ruminants? Wider Pharynx to swallow large Bolluses, soft palate allowing limited oral breathing and adapted to support rumination (regurgitation, remastication and reswallowing)
A calf suffering from a severe intestinal infection releases a surge of pro-inflammatory cytokines, causing this rapid, sweeping motility pattern designed to quickly flush pathogens out of the GI tract
What is Peristaltic Rush
A cat experiencing severe stress exhibits delayed gastric emptying and reduced digestion because inhibitory signals originating from T5–T12 of the spinal cord travel via these specific nerves to synapse in the celiac ganglion
What are the Splanchnic nerves
An Irish Setter puppy begins regurgitating immediately upon weaning to solid food; imaging reveals esophageal dilation cranial to the heart, directly caused by a vascular ring formed by the aorta, pulmonary artery, and this specific unclosed fetal vessel
What is the Ductus Arteriosus in Persistant Right Aortic Arch
A Maltese presents with painful "kissing ulcers" on its buccal mucosa directly apposed to dental plaque, causing severe inappetence, drooling, and halitosis.
What is Chronic Ulcerative Paradental Stomatitis (CUPS)
The phases of swallowing
a. What is the oral phase- under conscious control and involves food prehension, mastication, and the formation of a food bolus. tongue pushes the bolus towards the oropharynx. soft palate elevates to close off the nasopharynx, preventing food from entering the nasal cavity
b. pharyngeal phase- rapid and involuntary, controlled by the swallowing reflex in the brainstem. bolus stimulates sensory receptors in the oropharynx, triggering the swallowing reflex. hyoid apparatus and larynx move forward and upward to help close the airway. The epiglottis moves/folds backward to cover the laryngeal opening, preventing aspiration. The pharyngeal muscles (constrictors) contract sequentially to propel the bolus into the esophagus
c. esophageal phase- The upper esophageal sphincter relaxes, allowing the bolus to enter the esophagus. Peristalsis (wave-like contractions) moves the bolus down the esophagus. The lower esophageal sphincter relaxes, allowing the bolus to enter the stomach. Structure and Function of the Pharynx and Esophagus
When the pH of a dog's stomach drops dangerously low, endocrine D cells release this specific hormone to provide negative feedback, inhibiting the proton pump and halting further gastrin release
What is Somatostatin
A dog with a neuroendocrine tumor in the pyloric region is overproducing gastrin, which in turn causes massive hypersecretion of hydrochloric acid by these specific cells located in the fundic glands
What are Parietal Cells
Gary a 5yr old Bay Hanoverian Gelding is brought to your clinic with ptyalism, coughing, repeated attempts to swallow and pain with movement. This is the most likely diagnosis.
What is Choke (Esophageal obstruction)
What are the other potential clinical signs seen?
Initial signs Hypersalivation (ptyalism), Coughing, Repeated attempts to swallow, Nasal discharge of feed material and saliva (This is a key indicator)
Progression of Signs: Gagging retching, and Regurgitation, Dysphagia, Decreased Appetite and Weight Loss, Lethargy, Anxiety and Restlessness, Pain with Movement
Other Possible Signs: Abdominal Distension, Bloat, Smacking/Licking Lips, Pawing at the Mouth or Face, Pacing/Restlessness
A dog that survived a severe canine distemper virus infection at 4 months of age now exhibits brownish spots in its adult teeth due to permanent damage to the ameloblasts
What is Enamel Hypoplasia (odontodystrophy)
The locations most probable for esophageal obstruction
Thoracic inlet, Base of the heart and just cranial to the esophageal hiatus
Where does megaesophagus usually occur? Just before the diaphragm
During chronic enteritis, inflammatory mediators downregulate occludins and claudins, leading to increased paracellular permeability to toxins and bacteria in a condition commonly known as this
What is Leaky Gut Syndrome
A horse suffers a fatal gastric rupture due to excessive gas buildup, a direct anatomical consequence of this remarkably thick and effective structure that prevents the animal from vomiting or eructating
What is the Cardiac Sphincter
Petunia a 3yr old Pothound presents to your clinic with esophageal ulcers, these are some of the potential causes.
Reflux of stomach acid, Improper use of stomach tubes and Foreign bodies (bones)
WHAT IF IT WAS A COW? BVD