Nervous Signs In Cattle And Sheep

Front 1

In terms of a history how should we take it for an animal with nervous disease?

Back 1

Onset- duration- any changes

Specific clinical signs- ear drop, circling, standing in corners, star gazing, ataxia, blindness.

What group/animals are affected.

Husbandry factors:

Nutrition.

Treatments.

Movements.

Front 2

What is the first step of our nervous exam of a sheep or cow?

Back 2

Assess from a distance

Demeanor- depressed, aggressive, obtunded.

Posture- stargazing

Awareness- is it walking into stuff.

Symmetry- ear drooping on one side.

Gait- is it aware where its putting its limbs, hypermetric etc.

Front 3

How do we assess the head in a neuro exam?

Back 3

Symmetry.

Head carriage.

Mentation.

Cranial nerves- palpebral, menace.

Front 4

How do we assess the neck in our neuro exam?

Back 4

Range of motion.

Pain.

Palpate along spine.

Front 5

How do we assess proprioceptive reflexes?

Back 5

If animal standing, place feed bag under and drag.

Is it aware where its limbs are, is it knuckling etc.

Front 6

How can we assess upper limb reflexes in cows? Name some?

Back 6

Place animal in lateral recumbency.

Patellar reflex- L4-L6

Extensor carpi radialis reflex-C7-T2 segment.

Withdrawal.

Cutaneous trunci.

Front 7

Where do we take a CSF tap in a cow or a sheep? How do we perform it?

Back 7

Lumbosacral region.L6-S2

Animal in sternal recumbency.

Hips flexed and hindlimbs extended forwards.

Aspirate gently- 1-2mls.

Check colour and clarity, place in an EDTA tube

Front 8

How do cerebral lesions typically present?

Back 8

Changes in mentation.

Depression.

Opisthotonus.

Circling.

Heading pressing.

Hyperaesthesia.

Visual deficits.

Unilateral lesions of the cerebral hemispheres manifests as clinical signs on the opposite side.

Front 9

What is a common cause of acute onset neurological disease in weaned lambs and sporadically in adult sheep?

Back 9

Cerbroscoritcal necrosis, Polioencephalomalacia.

Front 10

History in a herd with CCN?

Back 10

Within 2 weeks of moving onto new pasture.

Recent diet change.

Prior antihelminthic treatment.

Front 11

Clinical signs of CCN?

Back 11

Isolated from the group.

Wandering aimlessly and blind.

Hyperaesthetic.

Seizures.

Stargazing.

Recumbency.

Opisothonus.

Death after 3-5 days.

Front 12

What are reasons for CCN?

Back 12

Damage to brain secondary to altered glucose metabolism.

Thiamine produced in rumen and need for glucose metabolism.

Excess thiaminese producing bacteria often precipitates an outbreak.

Front 13

How can we diagnose CCN?

Back 13

Bright white autofluoresence when cut sections of cerebrum run under UV light.

Histology showing vacuolation and cavitation of ground substance with astrocytic swelling, neuronal shrinkage and necrosis.

Front 14

Other DDX for CCN?

Back 14

FSE- Focal symmetrical encephalomalacia.

Pregancy toxaemia

Acute coenurosis.

Listeriosis.

Adult sheep.

Front 15

How do we treat a sheep with CCN?

Back 15

High doses of thiamine 10 mg/kg BID followed by i/m over 3 days 2x daily.

Dexamethasone 1 mg/kg.

Front 16

What age of animal is affected by brain abscesses, how do they get them? SIgns?

Back 16

3-6 month, haematogenous spread.

Progressive condition with signs including:

Blindness.

Proprioceptive deficits of the contralateral side.

PLR intact.

Depression.

Circling.

Front 17

If we do a CSF of a brain abscess animal what will we find?

Back 17

Slight increase in proteins and WBC's

Front 18

Typical clinical signs with brainstem lesions?

Back 18

Many cranial nerve nuclei lie here.

Dysphagia.

Nystagmus towards lesion.

Head tilt towards lesion.

Drooling.

Ptosis.

Loss of menace.

Front 19

What is listeriosis associated with in terms of feeding and seasonality?

Back 19

Spring-winter sileage fed sheep.

Particularly low acidic pH of spoiled sileage especially big bale.

Front 20

Why is listeriosis usually seen in gimmers?

Back 20

Due to eruption of the teeth.

Front 21

Pathogenesis of listeriosis?

Back 21

Minute wounds on buccal mucosa.

Ascends trigemminal to localize in the brainstem.

Front 22

Signs of listeriosis?

Back 22

Fever, anorexia, depression.

Depression due to the ARAS system.

Drooling.

Food impaction.

Facial assymetry.

Circling due to damage of the vestibulocochlear nucleus.

Ipsilateral hemiparesis.

Head tilt.

Absence of a blink response unilateraly.

Front 23

Other manifestations of listeriosis?

Back 23

Septicaemia and abortion.

Sileage eye.

Front 24

How to we diagnose listeriosis?

Back 24

Congestion of menines.

Micro abscesses.

Sample of CSF showing elevated protein and mild pleocytosis of mononuclear cells.

Isolation of virus.

Front 25

DDX list for listeriosis in cattle?

Back 25

BSE.

CCN

Lead.

Rabies.

Front 26

DDX lesions for sheep with listeriosis?

Back 26

Brain abscesses.

Nephrosis.

Pregnancy toxaemia- B-hydroxy butyrate levels >3mmol, CSF tap

Front 27

How do we treat an animal with listeriosis?

Back 27

High doses of penicillin 100,000 iu/kg 2x daily for 5 days.

Dexamethasone too

Remove mouldy/poor quality sileage.

Supportive therapy- fluids and electrolytes orogastric tube.

Front 28

How do we prevent listeriosis?

Back 28

Removing stale, poor quality sileage.

Feeding gimmers hay.

Treat sileage to decrease pH.

Do not feed mouldy sileage.

Front 29

Signs of vestibular disease?Treatment?

Back 29

Ipsilateral head tilt.

Nystagmus.

Circling.

Horners.

Usually unilateral.

Haematogenous spread following injury rams fighting.

Usually middle ear infection.

Treat with penicillin.

Front 30

What does the cerebellum do? Signs of cerebellar disease?

Back 30

Cerebellum co-ordinates voluntary movements.

Signs:

Jerky/rigid movements.

Wide based stance.

Hypermetria.

Ataxia.

Intention tremor.

Front 31

What age of sheep is sarcocystis usually seen? What are signs?

Back 31

6-12 months.

Pelvic limb ataxia and paresis, dog stance.

DDX: Spinal cord lesions/delayed swayback.

Front 32

Back 32

Cerebellar dysplasia by borders disease/BVD

Front 33

What is the median age for scrapie and what are signs of it?

Back 33

3-5 years.

Signs include: wool loss along the flank, nibble response and lip smacking when stimulate dorsal flank, poor BCS.

Mentation changes due to cerbral dysfunction.

Collapse when stressed.

Hyperasthetic.

Postural and gait abnormalities due to cerebellar dysfunction--> hypemetria, dysmetria, wide based stance.

Teeth grinding.

Front 34

Signs of C1-C6 spinal lesions?

Back 34

All limbs ataxic and weak.

Exaggerated reflexes in all limbs.

Front 35

Signs of C6-T2 lesion?

Back 35

Ataxia and weakness is more severe in the forelimbs.

Scuffing and abnormal wear of toes.

Front 36

Signs of a T2-L3 lesion?

Back 36

Normal thoracic limb function.

Weakness and ataxia of hind limbs.

Exaggerated pelvic reflexes.

Paniculus is absent caudal to lesion.

Front 37

Signs of L4-S2 lesion?

Back 37

Flaccid paralysis of hindlimbs.

Front 38

Signs of sacral s1-s3 lesions?

Back 38

Bladder distension.

Loss of anal tone.

Front 39

In general with spinal lesions what occurs with CSF?

Back 39

Protein content of CSF increases.

Front 40

When are spinal abscesses usually seen?

Back 40

Rams fighting in autumn.

Front 41

Signs of Visna form of MV?

Back 41

Slow onset of a head tilt.

Circling to affected side.

Hypermetria and hindlimb ataxia.

Pelvic limb paralysis.

Lateral ventricles and thoracolumbar region affected.

Front 42

Normal CSF protein content?

Back 42

<0.3 grams/l

Front 43

How many cells does normal CSF contain?

Back 43

0.012 x 10 9/litre mainly consisting of lymphocytes and some neutrophils.

Front 44

When is a predoninantly polymorphonuclear intrathecal inflammatory response seen?

Back 44

Acute CNS bacterial infections.

Mononuclear response if viral CNS infection.

Front 45

Peripheral nerve issues we might see?

Back 45

Sciatic nerve damage due to injections.