Diseases of Digestive System

By
Dr. Ali H. Sadiek
Prof. of Internal Veterinary Medicine and Clinical
Laboratory Diagnosis

Dept. of Animal Medicine

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Assiut University- Assiut, EGYPT

E-mail: Sadiek59@yahoo.com

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 1

 Pharyngitis
Causes:
• Traumatic: Sharp Foreign bodies, awns,
bones, nails, etc.
• Physical: Irritant chemicals, Hot or cold
substances
• Biological: Secondary to other diseases
Strangles in horses,
Oral necrobacillosis of calves.
Actinobacillosis of cattle & horses
pharyngeal anthrax in dog and horses.

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 2

Pharyngitis characterized clinically by:

Anorexia and painful swelling

Cough esp. with pharyngeal manipulation
Regurgitation of food and extended head.
Excessive salivation and nasal discharge.
Swelling of regional lymph nodes.
Fever and toxemia may noted in phlegmon
and neecrobacillosis.

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 3

Swelled pharynx

Strangles (Eq. distemper

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 4

 Diagnosis
• History of Acute onset and local pain
• External and internal palpation
• Internal exam. by mouth speculum or
pharyngeoscope

Bacterial pharyngitis Follicular pharyngitis

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 5

 Treatment
1. Removal of f. bodies by holder or by hand
2. Oral antiseptic (Gent. Violet. Silver
nitrate)
3. Drugs mixed with syrup for horses
Or given as lectiures or inhalation as:
¾ Creoline & Turp. Oil 150 gm/ Gallon
water
¾ Expectorant, anti-inflammatory and/or
Antibiotics.
Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 6
Central Inhalation therapy

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 7

 Pharyngeal obstruction
Causes:
ƒ T.B, Swelling of retroph. L. nodes.
ƒ F. Bodies as nails, wires, plasticwares etc.
It Charactreized Clinically by:
Snoring respiration and Cough.
Painful swelling.
Dysphagia & Regurgitation of food.
Loss of appetite.
Excessive salivation.
Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 8
Foreign bodies

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 9

 Pharyngeal obstruction
Diagnosis:
ƒ History of acute onset.
ƒ Specific signs differ. Vs pharyn.
Paralysis
Treatment:
ƒ Removal of f. bodies.
ƒ Anti-inflammat., antibiotics, anti
septics.

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 10

 Pharyngeal paralysis
It may be the result of :
1-Central or peripheral nervous disorder:
- Rabies
- CNS intoxication, lead poisoning,
- Cranial trauma,
- Intracranial abscessation,
- Tumor formation
2- Severe local disease that may cause
collapse, obstruction, or malfunction of the
pharynx.

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 11

 Pharyngeal paralysis
3- Peripheral Causes :
ƒ Pharyngeal trauma:
ƒ Disease of the auditory tube diverticula
(guttural pouches) in horses.
¾One-sided lesions (eg, guttural pouch
disease) may result in partial
pharyngeal malfunction, and the horse
may well be able to swallow.

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 12

 Signs of Pharyngeal paralysis-
‰Profound dysphagia with oral and nasal
return of food and saliva.
‰Pharyngeal collapse may occurs resulting
in respiratory obstruction.
‰Inhalation pneumonia, dehydration,
circulatory and respiratory collapse may be
the sequence.
‰Fever, cough, retch, and choke are
common.
‰Pharyngeal paralysis may result in death.

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 13

 Diagnosis of Pharyngeal paralysis-
• History and clinical signs are usually
enough to indicate pharyngeal
malfunction
• Serology, radiology, ultrasonography,
computed tomography, and MRI, as well
as endoscopy are valuable to determine
whether it is central or peripheral.
• Rabies must be ruled out.

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 14

Sonography (left) and CT (Right)

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 15

Video endoscopy

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 16

Fistula created between the two guttural pouches
of a foal affected by guttural pouch tympany

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 17

Pharyngeal paralysis- Treatment
• The prognosis is mostly poor, and the welfare of
the animal should be considered in management
of this condition.
• local therapy (including draining the pharyngeal
abscesses),
• Control the complications of inhalation
pneumonia,
• intubation in small animals, and, Rumenotomy
and/or esophagotomy and esophageal feeding
may be essential in large animals,
• Evaluating hemoconcentration, electrolyte
depletion, etc, aid in monitoring and evaluating
therapeutic regimens.
Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 18
Esophageal paralysis

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 19

Signs Ph. Paraly. Ph. Obst. Pharyngitis
Cough - + +
Inab. To + + +
swallow
Regurig. + + +
Snoring + + -
L.Ns - - +
Salivation +++ ++ +++
Painfull - + +
swelling
Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 20
 Esophagitis

Characterized by:
• Esophogeal spasm and obstruction.
• Pain on swallowing and palpation.
• Regurig. of bloody stained slimy materials.

Causes:
• Swallowing of chemicals and irrit. subst.
• Lacerations of esoph. wall by F. bodies.
• Assoc. some viral and bacterial disease.

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 21

 Signs of Esophagitis
Salivation, swallowing trial with pain.
Regurig. of food mixed with blood and
mucous.
Cough with vigorous mov. of neck and
abdominal muscles.
Pain on palp. of lower cervical esophagus
On esoph. perforat.: Inflamm. Swelling
crepitus and phlegmonus infl., or fatal
pleurisy.
Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 22
Esophagitis

Herpes infection esophagus

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 23

 Esophagitis
• Diagnosis:
• Similar to pharyngitis but attempt to
swallow is not severe in pharyngitis.
• Local palpation may recognize lesion.
• Treatment
• Parentral feeding should be prompted
• Parentral antibiotic, anti-inflammatory
• If animal can swallow: give it a mix. of
antibiotic & astringents on form of
electuaries.
Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 24
 Acute esophageal obstruction Choke
Charct. By:
• Inabil. to swallow.
• Regurig. of food and water.
• Bloat in ruminants.
Causes of Acute esoph. Obstruction
• In dogs: Feeding of bones or other f. objects on
playing.
• In Cattle: ingestion of solid objects (Turnips,
potatoes, comb of maize, upper parts of sugar
cane. Apple, Orange, leather, plastics etc.

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 25

 Causes of acute esoph. obstruction:

In Horses:
• Incompl. mast. & salivated. Food.
• While dosing with gelatin capsules.
• Pressure on cardia by tumors.
Causes of Chronic esoph. obstruction:
• Stenosis after esohagitis.
• Pressure from the outside: T.B, Tumors, etc.
• Persistent right aortic arch in neonates.

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 26

Clinical picture of Acute esophageal obstruction:
In Cattle:
• Obst. occur at cervical or thoracic Inlets
• Stop eating and shows anxiety and restless.
• Forcible attempts to swallow.
• Salivation- coughing contin. chewing mov.
• Contin. forcible ruminal motility.
• Rapid onset of bloat.
• Passage of st. tubes is impossible.
• Acute signs may subsides gradually due to
relaxation of esoph. spasm but tympany
persists.

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 27

 Clinical picture of acute obst.:
In Horses:
• Acute obstr. usually in the terminal
thoracic esophagus.
• Signs are similar to cattle but more
violent.
Sequellae:
• It may pass spontaneously or persist for
few days.
• Persist. obst. cause pressure necrosis.
and perforation, stenosis

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 28

Clinical picture of chronic obst.:
Absence of acute signs.
Chronic persistant bloat.
Ruminal motility begins to subside.
Pronounced swelling at the base of the
neck may appear.
Death may occur as a result of
drenching pneumonia/ or dehydration.

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 29

Diagnosis of esoph. obst.
History: Acute onset of signs
Clinical picture is sufficient.
Passage of stomach tube.
X- rays may be helpful
Illuminated mouth speculum and
Endosdcopy.

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 30

Diagnosis of esoph. Obst.

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 31

Esophageal obstruction

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 32

Esophag. diverticulum

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 33

 Treatment
Analgesics (atropin sulfate & belladonna).
Pass St. tube to locate f. body & pushing it.
In Cattle:
Trocer & canula is necessary in sever bloat
Use large forcipes and mouth specul. to catch
f. bodies.
Treat. tympany with anti-fermentive.
Esophagotomy may be necessary to remove
obstruction

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 34

 Treatment
In horses:
It is difficult to remove f. body from
the lower esophagus.
Adminster belladona extract to
anlagise the horse, then introduce
warm saline via stomach tube and
siphoned it again several time to
loose the obstruction.

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 35

 Treatment
In palpable obst. In the neck region,
- Vigorous squeezing from exterior
may brake it up and help in its
removal.
- Esophagotomy may be necessary
- Treat. of chronic obstruction is
usually unsuccessful

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 36

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 37
Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 38
 Complications
Suffocation, asphyxia and death.
Perforation of esoph. & develop. of
subcutaneous emphysema.
Esophageal paralysis and necrosis.
Death due to drenching pneumonia
(passage of saliva and food into lungs).
Severe tympany.

Prof. Dr. Ali Sadiek 39