Digestive Diseases In Animals

Digestive Diseases in Animals Dr.Kedar Karki. Central Veterinary Laboratory Kathmandu

Digestive Diseases in Animals • Objectives: – Discuss the various digestive diseases associated with animals – Comprehension of and awareness of causes, symptoms, and treatments of these diseases – Awareness of preventative measures

Digestive Diseases in Animals • Foot & Mouth Disease

– Highly contagious, febrile – Affects: • Cattle, swine, sheep, goats • Horses are resistant

– 9 outbreaks in U.S. history • Last one in 1929

– Quarantines are established for control – Continues to be a threat to the industry

Digestive Diseases in Animals – Cause • • • •

Viral infection 7 strains w/ additional subtypes Infection may be caused by one or more Infected animals my suffer repeated attacks due to short lifespan of immunity – Immunity from one type doesn’t provide immunity against another type

Digestive Diseases in Animals – Transmission • During febrile stage: – Virus found in: saliva, blood, urine, milk, muscle

• Virus remains alive in carcasses, animal byproducts, contaminated feeds, bedding, equipment, utensils • Contact w/ infected animals or contaminated materials

Digestive Diseases in Animals – Clinical Signs • Fluid-filled blisters form on mucous membranes of tongue, lips, cheeks, palate – Toes and hoof area, and udder

• Vesicles rupture w/in 24 hrs – Tremendous pain – Profuse salivation – What other symptoms might you see?

• Body temperature rises rapidly in first 48 hrs, but will fall back close to normal

Digestive Diseases in Animals • Infection may localize in a major organ resulting in abortions, mastitis, death

– Prevention • No vaccination available • Basis for prevention: – Federal restrictions on the importation of susceptible livestock & contaminated by-products – Immediate quarantine for an outbreak – Eradication of infected & exposed animals – Thorough cleaning & disinfection – Restock w/ a few susceptible animals to test site

Digestive Diseases in Animals – Treatment • No treatment available. • Must report suspicious cases to government

• Bloat – Non-contagious disorder or ruminants – Excessive accumulation of gas in the first two compartments of the stomach • Inability to expel the gas, not too much gas production

Digestive Diseases in Animals – Animals can become chronic or acute – Cause • No specific known causes – Or, little disagreement or causes

• Associated factors – Animal susceptibility – Type of feed – Environment in which animal is fed

• Causative theories (none proven) – Lack of coarse roughage

Digestive Diseases in Animals – Density of feeds – Saponins » Formation of soaps & glycerols – Excess gas production » Unlikely since healthy animals often eat the same diet – Formation of toxic substances – Saliva production and/or composition » Important for bloat prevention more than a causative agent – Animal differences » Is somewhat genetic

Digestive Diseases in Animals – Clinical signs • Distention of left side – May enlarge up and over back

• More difficult to detect in overweight animals, or sheep w/ full fleece • Off-feed, uneasy movement, stand w/ head extended • May slobber, grunt, labor breathing • May have difficulty standing as condition worsens

Digestive Diseases in Animals – Prevention • Reduce and eliminate possible causative agents • Strategies – Avoid straight legume pasture & immature legumes – Feed coarse grass hay prior to lush pasture – Feed dry forage along w/ pasture – Avoid rapid eating from empty start – Keep animals on pasture continuously once turned out

Digestive Diseases in Animals – Keep water & salt available at all times – Avoid frosted pasture – Use preventative treatments if necessary

– Treatment

• Prompt treatment is essential • Producer should know how to handle minor instances • Walk animal, tie w/ front end elevated • Acute cases

– Pass hose into stomach to let off gas » Must move constantly to catch gas pockets

Digestive Diseases in Animals – Trocar & cannula » Insert in side between hip, last rib, and loin edge » Let gas leak out of side » Place on penicillin to minimize infection of puncture site

• Traumatic Reticulitis (Hardware) – Acute or chronic mechanical injury to reticulum

Digestive Diseases in Animals – Cause • Ingestion of sharp metal that punctures the reticular wall – Nails, wire, screws, etc. » Wire accounts for 75% of the cases » Nails 20% » Pieces 2-4” are most troublesome

• Mixed and coarse feeds are good at hiding sharp foreign materials

Digestive Diseases in Animals – Clinical Symptoms • Anorexia, reduce milk production, slow movement, arched back • Stand w/ feet wide apart, toes pointed in • Difficulty w/ defecation & urination • Moderately febrile, elevated resp. rate

– Prevention • Administer bar magnet • Permanent in reticulum, only recovered upon slaughter of animal

Digestive Diseases in Animals

– Treatment

• May treat w/ antibiotics to control infection, if case is mild • Severe cases require surgical repair to remove object

– Hardware often leads to peritonitis or pericarditis, if not caught early

• Impaction

– Ingestion of large amounts of high carbohydrate feeds due to excess production of lactic acid

Cont: – Causes severe toxemia, dehydration, blindness, recumbency, cessation of rumen motility, high mortality – Cause • Accidental access to large quantities of whole or ground grain • Feeder cattle and lambs brought into feedlot situations most susceptible, or an animal restricted from feed

Digestive Diseases in Animals • Rapid fermentation of feed increases concentration of lactic acid in rumen – Decreases rumen motility, and eventually stops it

– Clinical signs • Onset is faster with ground feeds • Severity increases w/ the amount of feed eaten • Severe cases identified w/in 12 hrs • Abdominal pain, depression, grunting, teeth grinding, foul-smelling diarrhea • Increased pulse, suppressed temperature

Digestive Diseases in Animals • Staggery, drunken gait, may appear blind • Rapid development of severe symptoms often leads to death

– Prevention

• Feed additives (sodium bicarb) help to decrease susceptibility

– Treatment

• Remove grain, feed hay • Treat w/ penicillin • May mix baking soda w/ sterile water IV for cattle

Digestive Diseases in Animals • 1g of mineral oil orally

– Can have impaction of omasum, abomasum, large intestine

• Acidosis in Horses – Occurs after hard working periods – Also can happen after diarrhea – Cause • Heat exhaustion & severe diarrhea – Drastic loss of bicarbonate

Digestive Diseases in Animals • Heavily exercised horses can lose 10-12L of sweat/hr

– Clinical Signs • Rapid, shallow breathing, poor appetite, weakness, lastitude, coma

– Treatment • Oral & IV sodium bicarbonate • Addition of salt to the diet – 2 Tablespoons/d – Stimulate the horse to drink water

Digestive Diseases in Animals • Acidosis in Cattle – Can occur in feedlot or dairy cattle – Cattle deprived of feed – Cause • • • •

Changes in feed Alteration in feeding schedule Stress Pushing too hard w/ grain (too high energy level)

Digestive Diseases in Animals • Drastic changes in rumen pH – Protozoa & gram + bacteria cannot survive » Low pH organisms take over & produce more lactic acid

– Clinical Signs • • • • •

Abdominal pain Depression Loss of appetite Teeth grinding Diarrhea (bubbly & smelly)

Digestive Diseases in Animals – Prevention • Gradual changes in feed • Reduce stress – Deworm – Vaccinations

• Keep feed available • Feed sodium bicarb

– Treatment • Remove grain • Feed hay

Digestive Diseases in Animals • Penicillin & sodium bicarb • Severe cases

– IV sodium bicarb w/ sterile water – Mineral oil

– Effects

• Acidosis will tend to have associated problems – – – – – –

Founder Anorexia Liver abscesses Bloat Anaphylaxsis Death

Digestive Diseases in Animals • Peritonitis – Inflammation of peritoneum – Tenderness, pain, constipation – Cause • Penetration of peritoneal wall • Perforation of digestive or genital tracts • Can be due to external injury, or internal problem – Internal causes are more often fatal

Digestive Diseases in Animals – Clinical Signs

• Elevated temperature & depression • Rigid stance, don’t lie down • Dehydration – Although may still drink lots of water

• Constipation early, then profuse diarrhea • Rapid pulse

– Treatment

• Surgery to correct perforations, if appropriate • Broad spectrum antibiotics

Digestive Diseases in Animals • Displaced Abomasum – Abomasum is displaced either to the left or right side • Locations of displacement

– Often occurs in dairy • Early in lactation • Associated with other metabolic/health problems

– Can also include torsion

Digestive Diseases in Animals – Cause

• Low-fiber, high soluble carbohydrate diets • Low rumen pH – Decreased rumen motility increases gas in abomasum

• Mixing errors • Ketosis, milk fever, RP, mastitis, lameness

– Clinical signs

• Abnormal appetite • Rapid weight loss • Normal temp, resp., pulse

Digestive Diseases in Animals • Gaunt appearance

– Detection • Stethoscope • Thump/flick left and/or right side • Will hear distinct “ping”

– Treatment • Requires surgery for either left or right DA • Can roll & toggle • RDA’s are more difficult to recover

Digestive Diseases in Animals • Bovine Viral Diarrhea – Acute, contagious disease of cattle – Present across the U.S. – Cause • Spreads readily by contact – Also vectors, traffic (footwear & vehicle)

– Clinical Signs • Can have severe fever (103-108) • Cough, mouth & nasal discharge

Digestive Diseases in Animals • • • • •

Mouth lesions Possible lameness Diarrhea Rapid wt. loss May cause abortions from d58 of gestation to 7th month

– First trimester – likely to abort (may or may not observe) – Second trimester – may survive but w/ incomplete development of major organs – Third trimester – may show mild infection, but have high level of antibodies, tend to recover

Digestive Diseases in Animals • Calves can also become PI’s – Recognize the disease as “normal” – Will shed the virus constantly – Can infect many others, extremely quickly

• Chronic BVD – Occurs in herds w/ persistent, subclinical symptoms » Poor nutrition & mgmt contribute – Constant emaciation, poor appetite, slow growth – Periods of diarrhea – 2-6 mo. Cycles – 10% death rate

Digestive Diseases in Animals – Prevention • Vaccination (MLV or Killed) – MLV – don’t vaccinate pregnant cows – Vaccine may be ineffective in calves <6 mos.

– Treatment • Antibiotics are somewhat effective • Keep hydrated • Avoid rebreeding infected animals, or cull form herd

Digestive Diseases in Animals

• Colic in Horses

– Acute indigestion – Severe abdominal pain – Cause • Windsucking • Eating spoiled grain • Impaction of stomach or intestine – – – – –

Too much grain Coarse hay Sudden change Lack of water or exercise parasites

Digestive Diseases in Animals • Cramping – Large amount of very cold water – Very cold water after exercise

• Twisted intestine – Horse rolls in pain – Pulse rate will be >100 – Surgery is recommended

• Intussusception – Intestine telescopes inside itself

Digestive Diseases in Animals – Clinical Signs

• Pain may come & go • Groaning, pawing, looking at sides, lying down, sweating, rolling • Pulse & respiration rates increase • No appetite • No bowel movements

– Prevention

• No sudden feed changes • Regular exercise

Digestive Diseases in Animals • • • • •

Plenty of clean water Clean, dry hay, not too coarse Free choice salt Don’t feed on the ground Deworm

– Treatment • Walk the horse • Call vet • Keep from lying down or rolling – Never let roll

Digestive Diseases in Animals • May require surgery • Vet may pass tube to alleviate gas, or use laxatives • Often use pain-relievers

• Swine Edema Disease – Usually occurs from 4-14 wks of age – Can easily be confused w/ other diseases

Digestive Diseases in Animals – Cause • Colonization of E. coli in the intestine that produce a toxin • Often associated w/ stress

– Clinical signs • Sudden death of apparently healthy pigs • Typically occurs after: weaning, vaccination, castration, feed change • Mild listlessness, wobbly gait, poor appetite • May be febrile

Digestive Diseases in Animals • Short time period

– Mild problem – recover in 36-48 hrs – Severe – die w/in 6-24 hrs

• Dramatic symptoms – – – –

Lack of coordination Wandering, or circular walking pattern Apparent blindness Muscle tremors, convulsions

• Edema of eyelids, ears, face, jowl

– Post-mortem exam will show edema of stomach – Edema of brain causes the wandering, blindness – Edema can also be in respiratory tract

Digestive Diseases in Animals • Hemorrhagic lesions on belly and/or legs

– Prevention • No recommended vaccine • Reduce stress • Use antibiotics

– Treatment • Not very successful • Feed antibiotic if anticipating a sudden change

Digestive Diseases in Animals • Scours – Can affect foals, pigs, and calves – Foals • Usually not too problematic • Cause – – – –

Mare’s first heat after foaling Diet changes Parasites Infections

Digestive Diseases in Animals • Clinical signs – – – –

Usually mild Watery, smelling diarrhea Poor appetite for 24-36 hrs Can be profuse diarrhea » Causes extreme dehydration

• Prevention – Sanitation – Adequate colostrum – No vaccination

Digestive Diseases in Animals • Treatment – If severe: » Electrolytes & fluids » Call vet – If mild » Monitor closely for other symptoms

– Pigs • Can be highly fatal • Occurs in first few days

Digestive Diseases in Animals • Cause

– E. coli – Usually aided by chilled body temps following farrowing – Poor farrowing conditions & improperly fed sows – Infection through naval cord – Ingestion of infected feces

• Clinical signs

– Watery – yellow diarrhea – Wt. loss, listlessness – Secondary infections – blood poisoning, pneumonia, infection of abdominal lining – Mortality can be 100%

Digestive Diseases in Animals • Prevention – Sanitation & disinfection – Broad spectrum antibiotics and/or sulfa drugs » Can be administered through the water – Vaccinate sows » Make endogenous vaccine specific for the farm

– Calves • 3 contributing factors – Faulty nutrition – Stress – Infectious organisms

Digestive Diseases in Animals • One of most serious health risks in calves • Disrupts growth, weakens immune system • Cause – E. coli » Causes scours from 1-3d old – Rota and/or corona virus » Causes scours from 5-15d old

• Clinical signs – Cold nose & extremities – White, watery scours (first 48-72 hrs of life) – What else will you see?

Digestive Diseases in Animals – Febrile » 103-106 temp – Calf becomes anorexic, unthrifty looking, pot bellied

• Prevention – Reduce exposure to newborn calves – Optimal amounts of colostrum w/in specified time – Vaccinate dam 2-6 wks before parturition

• Treatment – Discontinue milk feeding for 2-3d – Administer fluids (oral & injection) – Antibiotics

Digestive Diseases in Animals • Coccidiosis – Parasitic disease of cattle, sheep, swine – Usually occurs in situations where cattle are confined to smaller areas – Mature animals carry coccidia & shed in the fecal matter – Many young have a low-grade coccidia infection throughout life • Become resistant to coccidiosis, unless their resistance is lowered significantly by another factor

Digestive Diseases in Animals – Cause

• Protozoan parasite Coccidia

– No cross infection between species

• Influences on a coccidiosis outbreak – – – – – – – –

Sanitation Stress (weaning) Shipping Overcrowding Feed changes Other diseases Weather Birds (carriers of coccidia)

Digestive Diseases in Animals – Clinical signs • • • • • • •

Commonly in young animals 2-3 wks after birth, or shipping Diarrhea (blood-stained, except swine) Loss of appetite (slight) Pneumonia Severe infection – death 4-6d Most will survive

– Prevention

• Avoid feed & water contamination • Quarantine affected animals • Expose infected area to sun

Digestive Diseases in Animals • Feed an ionophore

– Treatment • Amprolium, Lasalocid, or Deccoquinate

• Salmonellosis – Two forms • Infection of genital tract (abortions in mares, ewes) • Paratyphoid dysentery of farm animals

– Young or old

Digestive Diseases in Animals – Can infect the meat of the animal and pass to humans, or back to animals in feeds – Cause • >1000 Salmonella species – Most can cause problems

– Clinical Signs • • • •

Depression Loss of appetite High fever Water, odorous diarrhea (blood-streaked)

Digestive Diseases in Animals • Pregnant females may abort

– Prevention • Must control more than prevent – Restrict entrance of new animals into herd – Contaminated feed – Birds

• Quarantine infected animals

– Treatment • Antibiotics