Clinical Examination of Farm Animals - CYF MEDICAL DISTRIBUTION

Clinical Examination of the Gastrointestinal System
Wing of ilium
Right displaced
abomasum
Dilated
caecum
13 12 11 9 8 7
Elbow
Figure 8.18 The topographical location
of abnormal pings that may be produced by
percussion and auscultation in the
presence of a right displaced abomasum
and a distended caecum: right lateral view.
Normal intestinal sounds called borborygmi can
be heard intermittently in the right ventral quadrant;
these normally occur every 15 to 30 seconds
but may be inaudible. Repeated peristaltic sounds
may indicate intestinal hypermotility. Splashing
sounds caused by excessive fluid in the intestines
may be detected by ballottement and succussion.
These sounds may be detected in association
with an enteritis, ruminal acidosis or intestinal
obstruction.
Ultrasonography of the small intestines is possible,
and peristaltic movements can be observed
easily in the normal animal. The contents of the intestines
can also be imaged.
Ballottement of the lower flank in late pregnancy
will cause the foetus to impact on rebound on the ballotting
hand. Sometimes large lumps of fat present in
fat necrosis and impactions of the abomasum may
also be detected in this way.
Pain tests should be performed on the anterior ventral
quadrant of the abdomen by pressing the knee or
a clenched fist quickly and firmly into the abdomen.
Alternatively, percussion with a pleximeter can be
used. A sharp pain may indicate a focal peritonitis
secondary to a perforated abomasal ulcer. This
usually occurs in high yielding dairy cows during
early lactation.
Liver
Commonly used methods of diagnosis of liver disease
in cattle include
• clinical signs
• palpation and percussion
• clinical pathology and liver function tests
• ultrasonography
• liver biopsy.
Additional techniques include radiography, laparoscopy,
exploratory laparotomy and postmortem
examination.
Clinical signs of liver disease
These may include the following:
• weight loss
• diarrhoea
• heamorrhage
• hepatic encephalopathy
• photosensitisation
• ascites
• jaundice.
Prehepatic causes of jaundice, such as haemolytic
anaemia, are more common in cattle.
95