Equine Medicine Exam #1 Questions and Answers
1. Marks the separation between the non-glandular and glandular portions of the equine stomach: Margo plicatus
2. Passage of nasogastric tube (6 locations) and where do things tend to go wrong? (3 locations): 1. Nares
2. Ventral meatus **
3. Pharynx/ Larynx **
4. Esophagus
5. Cardia **
6. Stomach
3. What is the risk/ potential error that occurs when passing a nasogastric tube into the ventral meatus?: If
end up in middle meatus, this is very vascular dead-end which will result in a bloody nose
4. What is the risk/ potential error that occurs when passing a nasogastric tube into the esophagus?: Unless horse is
actively swallowing, the esophageal opening is collapsed and will enter the trachea instead. Must wait for a swallow!
5. How much does the equine stomach hold?: 15-18L (1 standard office water jug)
6. What gut sounds can be heard on the left side of an equine?: Dorsally: jejunum & small colon
Ventrally: left dorsal and left ventral colon
7. What gut sounds can be heard on the right side of an equine?: Dorsally: cecum
Ventrally: cecum, right ventral colon & right dorsal colon
8. What's palpable on rectal palpation at... 12:
1:
2-3:
6-7:
7-10:
10-11:: 12: abdominal aorta
1: cecal body wall attachments
2-3: cecum (with medial and ventral bands) 6-7: pelvic flexure
, Equine Medicine Exam #1 Questions and Answers
7-10: spleen
10-11: small colon (medially), nephrosplenic ligament and left kidney (laterally)
, Equine Medicine Exam #1 Questions and Answers
9. Where is colic most likely to occur and why? (4): 1. Stomach: strong cardiac sphincter prevents vomiting
2. Small intestine: long mesentery with single site of attachment, room to move and get entrapped
3. Large colon: only 1 site of attachment, predisposes to displacement/ rotation of free portion
4. Sites of narrowing: ileum, cecum, pelvic flexure, small colon, transverse colon (enteroliths)
10.Sites of narrowing where most GI impactions will occur (5): Ileum, cecum, pelvic flexure, small colon,
transverse colon
11.How to classify colic: Anatomic location: small intestine, large intestine, or non-GI
+
Lesion type: simple obstruction (mechanical vs functional), strangulating obstruc- tion, infarction (rare)
12.Clinical signs and treatment options of large intestine simple obstruc- tion: Clinical signs: mild/ moderate
pain, distended/ tight colon on rectal, normal abdominal fluid color with variable lactate
Treatment options:
1. Medical supportive care often effective (LC> SC> cecum)
2. Surgical- manual correction +/- enterotomy
13.Clinical signs and treatment options of large intestine strangulation ob- struction: Clinical signs: unrelenting
pain unresponsive to analgesics, severe gas distension, serosanguinous abdominal fluid, usually signs of shock
Treatment options: immediate surgery or euthanasia
14.Small intestine simple obstruction clinical signs and treatment options-
: Clinical signs: mild/ moderate pain, distended small intestine on rectal or US, nasogastric reflux, normal abdominal flui
color with variable lactate
Treatment options:
1. Supportive care
2. Surgical: manual decompression into cecum or evacuation via distal jejunal enterotomy
1. Marks the separation between the non-glandular and glandular portions of the equine stomach: Margo plicatus
2. Passage of nasogastric tube (6 locations) and where do things tend to go wrong? (3 locations): 1. Nares
2. Ventral meatus **
3. Pharynx/ Larynx **
4. Esophagus
5. Cardia **
6. Stomach
3. What is the risk/ potential error that occurs when passing a nasogastric tube into the ventral meatus?: If
end up in middle meatus, this is very vascular dead-end which will result in a bloody nose
4. What is the risk/ potential error that occurs when passing a nasogastric tube into the esophagus?: Unless horse is
actively swallowing, the esophageal opening is collapsed and will enter the trachea instead. Must wait for a swallow!
5. How much does the equine stomach hold?: 15-18L (1 standard office water jug)
6. What gut sounds can be heard on the left side of an equine?: Dorsally: jejunum & small colon
Ventrally: left dorsal and left ventral colon
7. What gut sounds can be heard on the right side of an equine?: Dorsally: cecum
Ventrally: cecum, right ventral colon & right dorsal colon
8. What's palpable on rectal palpation at... 12:
1:
2-3:
6-7:
7-10:
10-11:: 12: abdominal aorta
1: cecal body wall attachments
2-3: cecum (with medial and ventral bands) 6-7: pelvic flexure
, Equine Medicine Exam #1 Questions and Answers
7-10: spleen
10-11: small colon (medially), nephrosplenic ligament and left kidney (laterally)
, Equine Medicine Exam #1 Questions and Answers
9. Where is colic most likely to occur and why? (4): 1. Stomach: strong cardiac sphincter prevents vomiting
2. Small intestine: long mesentery with single site of attachment, room to move and get entrapped
3. Large colon: only 1 site of attachment, predisposes to displacement/ rotation of free portion
4. Sites of narrowing: ileum, cecum, pelvic flexure, small colon, transverse colon (enteroliths)
10.Sites of narrowing where most GI impactions will occur (5): Ileum, cecum, pelvic flexure, small colon,
transverse colon
11.How to classify colic: Anatomic location: small intestine, large intestine, or non-GI
+
Lesion type: simple obstruction (mechanical vs functional), strangulating obstruc- tion, infarction (rare)
12.Clinical signs and treatment options of large intestine simple obstruc- tion: Clinical signs: mild/ moderate
pain, distended/ tight colon on rectal, normal abdominal fluid color with variable lactate
Treatment options:
1. Medical supportive care often effective (LC> SC> cecum)
2. Surgical- manual correction +/- enterotomy
13.Clinical signs and treatment options of large intestine strangulation ob- struction: Clinical signs: unrelenting
pain unresponsive to analgesics, severe gas distension, serosanguinous abdominal fluid, usually signs of shock
Treatment options: immediate surgery or euthanasia
14.Small intestine simple obstruction clinical signs and treatment options-
: Clinical signs: mild/ moderate pain, distended small intestine on rectal or US, nasogastric reflux, normal abdominal flui
color with variable lactate
Treatment options:
1. Supportive care
2. Surgical: manual decompression into cecum or evacuation via distal jejunal enterotomy
