1. The Physical Examination Cattle - II

2. Procedures

3. Equipment • Halter • Watch • Stethoscope • Large animal thermometer
• Black plate
• CMT paddle & solution

4. Equipment cont. • Flashlight • Rectal sleeve • Betadine & lube
• Ketone powder/stick
• 18-16g 1 inch needle
Alcohol

5. Equipment cont. • Mouth gag • Frick speculum • Stomach tube
• Funnel/pump
• Rope

6. Equipment cont. New methylene blue • Slides • Blood collection vials
• Balling gun
• Nose lead

7. Basics • Begins before touching animal
– Don’t get focused on one abnormality
• Consistent routine
– Avoid becoming sidetracked
– Miss other abnormalities
• Done by regions, not systems
• Modified if no restraint & fractious animal

8. Physical Examination (PE)
• Proper restraint !
• Tail tone & perineal reflex
• Rectal temperature
• Pulse (coccygeal artery)
• Skin & hair coat
• Vulva mucous membranes
• Urine sample

9. Urine sample

10. Normal Values Rectal Temperature °F °C Beef cow 101 38.3
Dairy cow
Young calf – –39
Young cattle1yr – –40.5
Cattle > 1 year – –40

11. Normal Values Heart rate: 40-80/min
Calf: first days of birth 116 – 141
Calf: 8-14 days old 108
Calf: 1 month old 105
Calf: 2 months 101
Calf: 3 months 99
Calf: 6 months 96
Young cattle ~ 1 yr 91
Cow/ Ox: Adult

12. Normal Values Respiratory Rate: 10–30/ min Calf: 4 days 56
Calf: 5 weeks 37
Young cattle: 6 months 30
Young cattle: 1 yr 27
Cattle adult

13. Left neck • Skin – hydration Edema: bottle jaw/ brisket edema
• Left jugular vein/mammary vein: distended?
• Trachea & Larynx
– Auscult & compress
• Thyroid glands
– Not normally palpable
• Left superficial
cervical lymph node

14. Left thorax Heart (3rd – 6th ICS) – Apex: caudal to the elbow, 6th ICS
Base: cranial elbow
– auscult – note intensity, location, thrills
– rate (40-80/min)
– compare heart with pulse rate
– cardiac rhythm
– valve locations
PAM: 3rd, 4th (shoulder), 5th ICS

15. CVS - Disease Tachycardia: Infectious disease
Bradycardia: Vagal indigestion
Muffled heart sounds: pericardial and pleural effusion  
Fevers: Bacterial endocarditis and some cases of lymphosarcoma
Murmurs: most common cause is bacterial endocarditis: primarily in tricuspid valve than mitral valve on the left. 
Secondary to GI diseases such as "hardware", traumatic reticulopericarditis: Muffled heart sounds with or without a washing machine-like murmur, distended jugular veins, jugular pulse and brisket edema
Atrial fibrillation causes a irregularly, irregular heart beat, and is generally associated with a GI problem such as an LDA.

16. Left thorax Respiratory system Auscult: smaller area 11th rib
Normal lung sounds: louder on inspiration than expiration (loudest in the ventral lung fields). 
Hold nostrils for better auscult
Pneumonia (consolidated lung): increased sounds in ventral lung field. 
Crackles and wheezes are abnormal lung sounds. 
Palpate the tracheal to try and induce a cough. 

17. Left foreleg • Inspection & palpation • Note if any evidence of:
– heat
– pain
– swelling
– redness
– skin temperature

18. Left Abdominal area Rumen inspection, palpation
auscult – frequency & character
Ping (fluid-gas)
Abomasum: LDA
Rumen: normal unless otherwise (palpate for rumen)
1-3/minute
1º rumen/reticulum
2º rumen only

19. Pinch and Grunt Tests Withers scootch test (Pinch) Grunt test
Normal: flex back ventrally when her withers are pinched as seen above.
Abnormal: not flex ventrally – GI pain
hardware, abomasal ulcers, or distention of the small intestine with gas
Grunt test
Plank/ hand and knee on xiphoid
Pain: cow grunts (auscult trachea inspiration), kicks, or acts uncomfortable

20. Back Mammary lymph nodes Shape & symmetry of abdomen/thorax
Pear; Abnormal: apple/papple
Feces
Mammary glands
Milk samples
Subcutaneous abdominal
veins

21. Black cup
CMT results

22. Subclinical mastitis: contagious organisms:Staphylococcus aureus,
Foul smell and necrotic odor
Arcanobacterium pyogenes
(another)anaerobe
Watery milk, swollen udder
Coliforms
Watery and red, sick cow
Staph aureus: poor prognosis
Subclinical mastitis: contagious organisms:Staphylococcus aureus,
Streptococcus agalactia, Mycoplasma bovis
Clinical mastitis:
Environmental organisms: Strep. nonag. Group:50%
Coliform organisms (Eschericia coli, Klebsiella, Enterobacter sp., etc.)
90% of the time

23. Right Thorax Heart (apex 6th ICS) Respiratory system
Triscuspid: 3rd ICS
Respiratory system

24. Right neck Jugular vein Jugular Refill Superficial prescapular
lymph node
Pre-femoral

25. Right Abdomen GI
Pings
Normal: cecum, spiral colon, small intestine, duodenum, uterus (after calving), peritoneum, rectum
Abnormal:
distended or displaced cecum
RDA and RTA (right abomasal torsion) cranial to the 8th to 10th rib
Liver
Fatty liver

26. Right Foreleg • Inspection & palpation • Note if any evidence of:
– heat
– pain
– swelling
– redness
– skin temperature

27. Head • Posture of head & ears – Neurological dz • Symmetry
• Facial expression
• Eye movements
• Nostrils
– Discharge, odor, ulcers

28. Rectal Examination • Last to avoid pneumorectum
• Presence & consistency of manure
• Pressure
• Pelvic bones
Left
Rumen – size, position,
Left Kidney – size, position, pain

29. Rectal cont. • Females - cervix, vagina, uterus, ovaries
Males – base of penis, accessory sex glands,
internal inguinal rings
Urolithiasis – size of ureters? Pulsations?
• Right - abnormal vicera, distended spiral colon, cecum, small intestines

30. Vaginal Examination
• Pre-calving • Post calving • Before rectal examination • Wash • Note for any evidence of: – Tears – vaginal & cervical – Retained fetal membranes – Metritis

31. Palpation pregnant cow

32. Palpation pregnant cow

33. Palpation pregnant cow

35. Vaginal Exam Cervix predominantly pelvic and freely movable
Normal nonpregnant uterus
Pregnancies up to 60 to 70 days
Postparturient involution more than 14 days after parturition
Pyometra and hydrometra with exudates or secretion <2 liters
Chronic metritis without appreciable accumulation of exudates
Cervix abdominal and fixed
Pregnancies after 70 days
Uninvoluted postpartum tract
Pyometra and hydrometra with exudates >2 liters
Extensive adhesions
Tumors (Lymphosarcoma)