Clinical Examination of Farm Animals - CYF MEDICAL DISTRIBUTION

Clinical Examination of the Gastrointestinal System
Figure 8.13 The bar test for anterior abdominal pain.
causes irritation of the parietal peritoneum during
the test, the animal will resent making this movement
and will usually grunt. The bar test and
the knee test involve upward pressure on the
xiphoid area to check for discomfort and associated
grunting.
Bar test – In the bar test an operator stands either side
of the animal. A padded metal or wooden bar is
placed beneath the animal and positioned just
behind the xiphisternum. Each operator slowly
raises the bar and then lowers it quickly. The veterinary
surgeon should place a stethoscope over
the trachea in the ventral midline of the neck and
auscultate for a grunt (Fig. 8.13). In an animal with
an acute traumatic reticulitis this sudden movement
will often elicit discomfort and a grunt.
Knee test – This test involves applying a sudden upward
force with the knee in the area of the xiphisternum.
A grunt with resentment is expected if
the animal has anterior abdominal pain. Localisation
of the pain can sometimes be achieved by
regional palpation or percussion of the anterior
abdomen. (Fig. 8.14).
Eric Williams’ test – The Eric Williams’ test is a
more subtle technique for the early detection of
the condition. If there is ruminostasis the test cannot
be performed. Astethoscope is placed over the
trachea and a hand placed in the left sublumbar
fossa to detect ruminal movement. A quiet and
otherwise ordinarily inaudible grunt may be
heard via the stethoscope just before the commencement
of the ruminal component of the A
wave. The grunt is caused by the pain elicited by
the double reticular contraction causing the penetrating
foreign body to produce parietal peritoneal
irritation.
Further investigations which may be useful include
sampling of the peritoneal fluid by peritoneal
tapping, radiography, examination using a metal
detector and laparotomy/rumenotomy. These techniques
are decribed under ‘Further investigations’.
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