Reference no: EM133580054
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1. Peritoneal viscera include the liver, spleen, stomach and enteric tract.
2. Prehension of food varies among domestic animals. Carnivorous animals like felines and ferrets, along with certain omnivorous animals like canines, tend to grab and gulp, with little if any mastication before swallowing.
3. Periodontal disease begins with plaque. Gingivitis is the first symptom of disease. If left unchecked, gingivitis will lead to periodontitis and eventual loss of periodontal tissues, including maxillary and mandibular bone. Bacteria entering circulation from the inflamed tissues may seriously damage vital viscera, resulting in cardiac, hepatic, and renal pathology.
4. Gastroenteritis of canines and felines is usually made apparent to their owners with anorexia, hypersialosis, emesis, and diarrhea.
5. Gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV) is a life-threatening disorder of canines. Unproductive retching is a common early symptom. Usually by the time the animals are presented in the emergency room, they are dyspneic, hypotensive, hypoxic, and hypercapnic. Their cyanosis demonstrates the critical nature of their condition.
6. A laparotomy is required for correction of GDV. During the procedure, the surgeon will detorse the stomach, along with gastric evacuation and lavage. A preventive gastropexy may also be performed. If necessary, due to ischemic necrosis, a partial gastrectomy and splenectomy may also be required.
7. Left displaced abomasum (LDA) is common in postparturient dairy cows. This generally requires surgical intervention, which may involve a right-flank omentopexy or a left-flank abomasopexy.
8. Puppies and kittens often explore their environments orally. Unfortunately, this means that these youngsters may ingest inappropriate and even dangerous objects. Swallowing of panty hose is a common etiology of intussusception in puppies. Unfortunately, there are no specific symptoms for this. Anorexia and emesis may occur for many reasons in puppies. Because of this, owners may wait too long to have the pup evaluated. The longer the intussusception is present, the greater the risk for enteric necrosis and lethal peritonitis. Surgical intervention is required, minimally with an enterotomy to remove the foreign body. If the involved enteric section is necrotic, a partial enterectomy and anastomosis will also be performed.
9. Postprandial lipemia is a normal physiologic event. Because lipemia may interfere with certain serologic testing, phlebotomy on fasting animals may be requested.
10. Hyperbilirubinemia and icterus may result from intravascular hemolysis, hepatopathy, or biliary obstruction.
11. Coprophagia is common among some domestic animals. In fact, in hindgut fermenters like rabbits, coprophagia is an important way to recoup much of the B vitamins and fatty acids that are produced by the good microbes in the caudal part of the digestive tract.
12. Melenic feces is common in canines and felines with parasites like hookworms. However, one should not jump to the conclusion of parasitism, if a patient has melena. Gastric and enteric bleeding from other causes may also result in melena.
13. There are times when determining the etiology of symptoms, such as anorexia and dysphagia, may be difficult. We must be very thorough in our investigations to determine if the apparent digestive pathology is primary or secondary. Fever of unknown origin can cause anorexia. Infectious diseases of many kinds may cause fever. In fact, there are some infectious respiratory diseases that may cause stomatitis and pharyngitis, resulting in dysphagia and anorexia.