Clinical Examination of Farm Animals - CYF MEDICAL DISTRIBUTION

CHAPTER 5
Clinical Examination of the Head
and Neck
Inspection and observation
Before handling the head a further visual inspection
and observation of the head and neck is advisable (Fig.
5.1). Observation of the head and the animal’s behaviour
enables an evaluation to be made of parts of
the nervous system including the brain and cranial
nerves. Initial confirmation may be made that the
animal has vision – by its ability to follow movements
of the clinician’s hand. Also whether it can
hear – by its response to clapping the hands outwith
its visual field. The presence of abnormal ocular or
nasal discharges is noted, as are changes or abnormalities
in the outline and contours of the region.
Cattle normally produce large quantities of saliva,
but drooling of saliva from the mouth is abnormal
and should be investigated; it may be associated with
painful oral lesions or an inability to swallow, for
example as a result of choke.
The head is normally held vertically upright in the
undisturbed animal. Persistent head tilting is abnormal
and may indicate vestibular disease or unilateral
pain in part of the head, e.g. the ear. Abnormal head
carriage is seen as part of the posture of opisthotonos
and other neurological abnormalities. If the animal is
eating it should be closely observed to check that prehension,
mastication and swallowing of its food are
normal.
The neck of cattle is normally very mobile and it
should be possible for the animal to turn the head
back towards the flanks on either side of the body.
Lick marks on both sides of the withers suggest good
natural neck mobility.
CLINICIAN’S CHECKLIST – OBSERVATION
OF THE HEAD AND NECK
Movements of head and neck – normal or abnormal
Carriage of head – normal or tilted
Can the animal see?
Can the animal hear?
Ocular or nasal discharge
Salivation – normal or excessive
Ability to prehend, masticate and swallow food
Mobility of the neck
Closer examination of the head and neck is aided
by restraint of the head, either by applying a halter or
manually holding it. In nervous or difficult animals
the patient may be further restrained by holding the
nose either by hand or using bulldogs.
The head, face and neck should be symmetrical. Abnormalities
of outline should be noted and investigated.
Unilateral swellings of the head in the adult may be
caused by abscess formation or less commonly by tumours
such as fibrosarcomas (Fig. 5.2). Gross distortion
of the cranial area of the head is seen in cases of
hydrocephalus. The maxilla is severely truncated in
the so called bulldog calf, caused by a recessive gene
in Dexter cattle. Unilateral facial swelling over the
cheek area in calves is often an external sign of calf
diphtheria (necrotic stomatitis) (Fig. 5.2). Muscular
tone on both sides of the face should be equal. Unilateral
facial paralysis with local loss of muscle tone may
be seen in conditions such as listeriosis.
Sinusitis is uncommon in cattle but the health of
the sinuses – frontal and maxillary – can be assessed
by percussion over their location (Fig. 5.3). In normal
animals such percussion is painless, but in the presence
of sinus infection discomfort on percussion is
evident. The frontal sinuses extend into the horns
of adult cattle. Removal of the horns results in exposure
of the mucosal surfaces of the frontal sinuses.
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