NAVLE EXAM PREP 2025/2026 COMPREHENSIVE VETERINARY LICENSING STUDY
GUIDE AND PRACTICE QUESTIONS
Which of the following urinary complications may occur in dogs with heartworm disease?
A) Chronic renal failure
B) Cystitis
C) Glomerulonephritis
D) Pyelonephritis
E) Renal cysts - (answers)C) Glomerulonephritis
A 4 year old female Holstein cow is diagnosed with lactic acidosis. If she survives the acute disease, she is
at greatest risk for which of the following conditions?
A) Cystitis
B) Mastitis
C) Metritis
D) Sole abscess
E) Uveitis - (answers)D) Sole abscess
Lactic acidosis (grain overload) in cattle leads to rumenitis — inflammation and damage to the rumen
wall. Once the rumen epithelium is compromised:
- Bacteria (e.g., Fusobacterium necrophorum, Arcanobacterium pyogenes) can enter the portal
circulation.
- They form hepatic abscesses.
- Bacterial toxins and emboli from these abscesses or rumenitis-associated endotoxemia then affect
laminar corium perfusion in the hooves.
- Result → Laminitis, which predisposes to sole ulcers/abscesses and other claw horn lesions.
Which of the following is the most common clinical sign associated with guttural pouch mycosis in the
horse?
,A) Corneal ulceration
B) Dysphagia
C) Epistaxis
D) Horner's syndrome
E) Paralysis of the facial (VII) nerve - (answers)C) Epistaxis
A 3 year old Thoroughbred gelding has had lethargy and a poor appetite for the past two weeks. Rectal
temperature is 101.4 degrees F (38.6 degrees C), heart rate is 42 beats/min, and respiratory rate is 16
breaths/min. Physical examination shows mild depression, exposure keratitis of the right eye, and a head
tilt, with the poll displaced to the right. The muzzle is deviated to the left, and the lower lip is flaccid and
dropping. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in establishing the diagnosis?
A) Electromyography
B) Endoscopic evaluation of the larynx
C) Evaluation of aspirate from the temporomandibular joint
D) Nerve conduction velocity tests
E) Skull radiography - (answers)A) Electromyography
A 3 year old Afghan Hound dog has tachypnea and pleural effusion. Thoracocentesis yields an opaque,
pinkish white fluid with a specific gravity of 1.020. Which of the following methods is most accurate in
confirming the diagnosis?
A) Comparing cholesterol and triglyceride content of the effusion and the serum
B) Performing an ether clearance test on the effusion and the serum
C) Performing cytologic examination to determine the proportion of lymphocytes in the effusion
D) Performing ultrasonography of the thorax
E) Staining the effusion with Sudan stain to identify fat - (answers) Correct answer: A) Comparing
cholesterol and triglyceride content of the effusion and the serum
Why: The description (opaque, pinkish-white pleural fluid; SG ~1.020) is classic for chylothorax, to which
Afghan Hounds are predisposed. The most accurate confirmation is to measure lipids:
Chylous effusion: Triglycerides in fluid > serum (often >100 mg/dL in dogs), and
,Cholesterol:triglyceride ratio < 1 in the effusion.
Why not the others:
B) Ether clearance and E) Sudan stain: old, nonspecific fat tests—can be misleading.
C) Cytology: Often lymphocyte-rich, but not definitive (can shift with chronicity).
D) Thoracic ultrasound: Detects fluid/structures but doesn't confirm chyle.
Which of the following is the most appropriate class of antibiotics for the treatment of bite wound
abscesses in cats?
A) Aminoglycosides
B) Beta-lactam drugs
C) Chloramphenicols
D) Fluoroquinolones
E) Tetracyclines - (answers)B) Beta-lactam drugs
A 14 year old neutered male domestic longhaired cat is evaluated because of a 3 month history of
decreased activity level. The cat has neem an indoor/outdoor cat during the past year. Body condition
score is 5/9. Temperature is 100.6 degrees F (38.1 degrees C), heart rate is 164 beats/min, and
respiratory rate is 36 breaths/min. On physical examination, capillary refill time is 1 second. Palpation of
the thyroid glands shows no abnormalities. Thoracic auscultation discloses a grade III/VI sternal murmur
and a gallop rhythm. Which of the following is most likely present in this cat?
A) Dilated cardiomyopathy
B) Dysplasia of the tricuspid valve
C) Hypertrophic cardiomyopahty
D) Left-to-right shunt
E) Systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve - (answers) Correct answer: C) Hypertrophic
cardiomyopathy
Why:A geriatric cat with a new grade III/VI sternal systolic murmur and a gallop rhythm (S3/S4) most
strongly suggests HCM with diastolic dysfunction. Normal thyroid palpation makes hyperthyroid-
, associated cardiomyopathy less likely. Congenital lesions (e.g., left-to-right shunts, tricuspid dysplasia)
are unlikely to present de novo at 14 years. DCM is rare in cats today (post-taurine era).
Note on option E:Systolic anterior motion (SAM) of the mitral valve is commonly present in HCM cats
(especially with dynamic LV outflow tract obstruction) and explains a left sternal systolic murmur, but it's
a mechanism/finding within HCM, not the primary diagnosis. Given mixed answer types, choose HCM
(C).
A 1 year old intact female cat has firm, painless enlargements in several mammary glands. Which of the
following is the most likely diagnosis?
A) Malignant mixed mammary gland tumors
B) Mammary adenocarcinomas
C) Mammary cystadenomas
D) Mammary hypertrophy/fibroadenoma complex
E) Mastitis - (answers) Correct answer: D) Mammary hypertrophy / fibroadenomatous hyperplasia
(fibroadenoma complex)
Explanation:
Signalment & presentation fit perfectly:
Young, intact female cat (≈1 year old)
Firm, non-painful, uniform enlargement of multiple mammary glands
Often occurs after estrus, during early pregnancy, or after progestin (megestrol acetate) exposure.
This is classic for feline mammary hypertrophy (fibroadenomatous hyperplasia) — a benign,
progesterone-mediated condition.
A 7 year old primiparous Thoroughbred mare sustains an injury to the perineal region during parturition.
Examination shows feces in the vagina, complete disruption of the external anal sphincter, and a full-
thickness tear of the rectovaginal shelf. Which of the following best describes this injury?
A) First-degree perineal laceration
B) Second-degree perineal laceration
C) Third-degree perineal laceration
GUIDE AND PRACTICE QUESTIONS
Which of the following urinary complications may occur in dogs with heartworm disease?
A) Chronic renal failure
B) Cystitis
C) Glomerulonephritis
D) Pyelonephritis
E) Renal cysts - (answers)C) Glomerulonephritis
A 4 year old female Holstein cow is diagnosed with lactic acidosis. If she survives the acute disease, she is
at greatest risk for which of the following conditions?
A) Cystitis
B) Mastitis
C) Metritis
D) Sole abscess
E) Uveitis - (answers)D) Sole abscess
Lactic acidosis (grain overload) in cattle leads to rumenitis — inflammation and damage to the rumen
wall. Once the rumen epithelium is compromised:
- Bacteria (e.g., Fusobacterium necrophorum, Arcanobacterium pyogenes) can enter the portal
circulation.
- They form hepatic abscesses.
- Bacterial toxins and emboli from these abscesses or rumenitis-associated endotoxemia then affect
laminar corium perfusion in the hooves.
- Result → Laminitis, which predisposes to sole ulcers/abscesses and other claw horn lesions.
Which of the following is the most common clinical sign associated with guttural pouch mycosis in the
horse?
,A) Corneal ulceration
B) Dysphagia
C) Epistaxis
D) Horner's syndrome
E) Paralysis of the facial (VII) nerve - (answers)C) Epistaxis
A 3 year old Thoroughbred gelding has had lethargy and a poor appetite for the past two weeks. Rectal
temperature is 101.4 degrees F (38.6 degrees C), heart rate is 42 beats/min, and respiratory rate is 16
breaths/min. Physical examination shows mild depression, exposure keratitis of the right eye, and a head
tilt, with the poll displaced to the right. The muzzle is deviated to the left, and the lower lip is flaccid and
dropping. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in establishing the diagnosis?
A) Electromyography
B) Endoscopic evaluation of the larynx
C) Evaluation of aspirate from the temporomandibular joint
D) Nerve conduction velocity tests
E) Skull radiography - (answers)A) Electromyography
A 3 year old Afghan Hound dog has tachypnea and pleural effusion. Thoracocentesis yields an opaque,
pinkish white fluid with a specific gravity of 1.020. Which of the following methods is most accurate in
confirming the diagnosis?
A) Comparing cholesterol and triglyceride content of the effusion and the serum
B) Performing an ether clearance test on the effusion and the serum
C) Performing cytologic examination to determine the proportion of lymphocytes in the effusion
D) Performing ultrasonography of the thorax
E) Staining the effusion with Sudan stain to identify fat - (answers) Correct answer: A) Comparing
cholesterol and triglyceride content of the effusion and the serum
Why: The description (opaque, pinkish-white pleural fluid; SG ~1.020) is classic for chylothorax, to which
Afghan Hounds are predisposed. The most accurate confirmation is to measure lipids:
Chylous effusion: Triglycerides in fluid > serum (often >100 mg/dL in dogs), and
,Cholesterol:triglyceride ratio < 1 in the effusion.
Why not the others:
B) Ether clearance and E) Sudan stain: old, nonspecific fat tests—can be misleading.
C) Cytology: Often lymphocyte-rich, but not definitive (can shift with chronicity).
D) Thoracic ultrasound: Detects fluid/structures but doesn't confirm chyle.
Which of the following is the most appropriate class of antibiotics for the treatment of bite wound
abscesses in cats?
A) Aminoglycosides
B) Beta-lactam drugs
C) Chloramphenicols
D) Fluoroquinolones
E) Tetracyclines - (answers)B) Beta-lactam drugs
A 14 year old neutered male domestic longhaired cat is evaluated because of a 3 month history of
decreased activity level. The cat has neem an indoor/outdoor cat during the past year. Body condition
score is 5/9. Temperature is 100.6 degrees F (38.1 degrees C), heart rate is 164 beats/min, and
respiratory rate is 36 breaths/min. On physical examination, capillary refill time is 1 second. Palpation of
the thyroid glands shows no abnormalities. Thoracic auscultation discloses a grade III/VI sternal murmur
and a gallop rhythm. Which of the following is most likely present in this cat?
A) Dilated cardiomyopathy
B) Dysplasia of the tricuspid valve
C) Hypertrophic cardiomyopahty
D) Left-to-right shunt
E) Systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve - (answers) Correct answer: C) Hypertrophic
cardiomyopathy
Why:A geriatric cat with a new grade III/VI sternal systolic murmur and a gallop rhythm (S3/S4) most
strongly suggests HCM with diastolic dysfunction. Normal thyroid palpation makes hyperthyroid-
, associated cardiomyopathy less likely. Congenital lesions (e.g., left-to-right shunts, tricuspid dysplasia)
are unlikely to present de novo at 14 years. DCM is rare in cats today (post-taurine era).
Note on option E:Systolic anterior motion (SAM) of the mitral valve is commonly present in HCM cats
(especially with dynamic LV outflow tract obstruction) and explains a left sternal systolic murmur, but it's
a mechanism/finding within HCM, not the primary diagnosis. Given mixed answer types, choose HCM
(C).
A 1 year old intact female cat has firm, painless enlargements in several mammary glands. Which of the
following is the most likely diagnosis?
A) Malignant mixed mammary gland tumors
B) Mammary adenocarcinomas
C) Mammary cystadenomas
D) Mammary hypertrophy/fibroadenoma complex
E) Mastitis - (answers) Correct answer: D) Mammary hypertrophy / fibroadenomatous hyperplasia
(fibroadenoma complex)
Explanation:
Signalment & presentation fit perfectly:
Young, intact female cat (≈1 year old)
Firm, non-painful, uniform enlargement of multiple mammary glands
Often occurs after estrus, during early pregnancy, or after progestin (megestrol acetate) exposure.
This is classic for feline mammary hypertrophy (fibroadenomatous hyperplasia) — a benign,
progesterone-mediated condition.
A 7 year old primiparous Thoroughbred mare sustains an injury to the perineal region during parturition.
Examination shows feces in the vagina, complete disruption of the external anal sphincter, and a full-
thickness tear of the rectovaginal shelf. Which of the following best describes this injury?
A) First-degree perineal laceration
B) Second-degree perineal laceration
C) Third-degree perineal laceration
