Clinical Examination of Cattle

Dr Vinodh Kumar, O.RDivision of Epidemiology

ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research InstituteIzatnagar, Uttar Pradesh

Need for clinical and physical examination

• Allows you to find signs of sickness that are not obvious

• Helps you to determine the extent of the injury or illness

Physical examination

• Signalment / HistoryComplete description of the animal, Species, Breed, Age, Sex, Reproductive status, other distinguishing characteristics, double-check client reported information (sex, age, etc), Keep this information in mind for clinical judgments.Environment, diet, medical history, reproductive history, vaccination status and medications, history of presenting complaint

• General Appearance / Initial Observations• Vital Signs ( Body weight, temperature, Heart rate , RR,CRT)• Physical Exam (Systems Approach or Head to Toe)

System wise examination• Cardiovascular System• Respiratory System• Gastrointestinal System• Uro - Genital System• Lymphatic system• Musculoskeltal system• Nervous system

–Skin–Head and Neck

Basic Intruments

Things a Veterinarian will need

– Thermometer– Stethoscope/Phoendoscope– Otoscope– Pen light/ pen torch – Hammer– Plexor and pleximeter

General AppearanceLook around the around,

inspect all the sides of the animal

• Symmetrymuscles/skeleton• Shape• Size - appropriate forage/breed• Compare abdomen &thorax– deviations from normal?– physiological vs.

pathological

Conformation- breed variations• Abnormalities:– Head: “parrot mouth”– Limbs: “ base wide”,“winged” elbows, “postlegged”, cow hocks, sicklehocks

Behavior

• Level of consciousness – attentiveness / reaction to environment:

• Alert and responsive – Depressed – Uncontrolled hyper-excitability – Stupor – Coma e.g: Normal healthy animal's mentation is often bright, alert and responsive or "

Body Condition • In general, the animal is

too thin of his ribs are easily seen, normal if they are readily felt without a layer of fat lying over them and obese if it is difficult to feel them at all

Posture and gait

• Watch the animal walking

• Look for limping, incoordination or unsteadiness and abnormal limb placement

Head and neck

• Check symmetry of the head• Check the eyes, ears, muzzle

and nostrils• Examine the mouth, palpate

the tongue and lymph nodes of the head

• Check the jugular vein, brisket and prescapular lymph nodes

Ears & Eyes • Ears are a quick indicator of the cow’s physical well-

being.– If her ears are cold, there is a problem. If her ears

are warm, there might still be a problem. • Eyes are a quick indicator of both hydration and of her

emotional status.– Are her eyes normal or are

they sunken? • If they are sunken, the

animal is dehydrated. – Do her eyes indicate if the

animal is scared or in pain? • Emotion can be read most

easily from the eyes.

Left side of the animal

• Palpate and auscultate the heart – check for abnormalities

• Auscultate and percuss the lung field – check for abnormalities

• Check the abdominal shape and contour

• Palpate and auscultate the rumen

• Percuss and auscultate the body wall

• Ballott the lower flank

Right side• Palpate and auscultate the heart

– check for abnormalities• Auscultate and percuss the lung

field – check for abnormalities• Check the abdominal shape and

contour• Check the position and size of the

liver• Percuss and auscultate the body

wall• Palpate and auscultate the

sublumbar fossa• Ballott the lower flank

Respiratory Movements

Rate– Temperature, excitement, exercise• Rhythm• Depth– Shallow, deep• Type• Symmetrical vs. asymmetrical movements

Abdominal pings

Location• Size• Intensity• Persistency

Udder

• Palpate left quarters of the mammary gland– Heat– Hardness (swelling)– Edema– Teat lesions

Normal

Mastitis

Rectal Examination• Female

– Vaginal wall, Cervix, Uterine Body, Uterine Horns, Oviducts, Ovaries

– Internal iliac lymph nodes, Sublumbar lymph nodes

• Male– Intrapelvic

penis,Prostate,Seminal vessicles,Ampullae,Internal inguinal rings,

– Internal iliac lymph nodes, Sublumbar lymph nodes

Digestive SystemRight Cranial side :

AbomasumCentral position:

Small intestinesLeft side:

Rumen dorsal sac

Milk clots on a strip plate

Goal

• Differential Diagnosis• Lab tests• Diagnosis• Treatment• Information to the owner

References

• Clinical Examination of Cattle (1995) by G. Rosenberger. Wiley-Blackwell.

• Clinical Examination of Farm Animals(2002) Peter G.G. Jackson and Peter D. Cockcroft. Blackwell Science.