Free NAVLE Exam Flashcards

Macrocyclic lactones (e.g., ivermectin at antiparasitic-overdose or heartworm-treatment doses) and other P-glycoprotein substrates can cause fatal neurotoxicity. Collies, Australian Shepherds, Shetland Sheepdogs, and related herding breeds have the highest mutation prevalence.

Cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture. The drawer test detects abnormal cranial translation of the tibia relative to the femur because the ruptured ligament no longer restrains tibial thrust.

Decompression (orogastric tube or trocharization) relieves gas but does not correct the rotation of the stomach on its mesenteric axis, which compromises gastric blood supply and can progress to necrosis and shock. Emergency surgery with derotation and gastropexy is required to fix the volvulus and prevent recurrence.

Hypokalemia, from GI losses (vomiting/diarrhea) combined with anorexia-driven inadequate intake. Potassium should be supplemented in IV fluids during treatment.

Hyponatremia with hyperkalemia (a low Na:K ratio, often under 27:1) from mineralocorticoid (aldosterone) deficiency, which impairs renal sodium retention and potassium excretion.

No identifiable underlying cause - the majority of canine IMHA is primary/idiopathic. Secondary IMHA (drugs, neoplasia, tick-borne disease) accounts for a minority of cases.

Mast cell tumor (about 20% of canine skin tumors). Behavior ranges from benign-behaving to highly aggressive/metastatic, so histologic grading and mitotic index are essential to guide prognosis and treatment.

Castration (removes the hormonal drive on prostatic tissue) plus abscess drainage or omentalization - antibiotics alone will not resolve the abscess or prevent recurrence.

Rabies, canine distemper virus, canine adenovirus-2, and canine parvovirus (often combined as DA2PP/DHPP). Bordetella, Leptospira, and Lyme are non-core, given based on lifestyle and regional risk.

Open pyometra has a patent cervix with visible purulent vaginal discharge; closed pyometra has a closed cervix with pus trapped in the uterus. Closed pyometra is more dangerous because toxins and pressure build without an escape route, raising the risk of uterine rupture and septic shock.

Monthly administration of a macrocyclic lactone preventive (e.g., ivermectin, milbemycin oxime, moxidectin, or selamectin), which kills migrating larval stages before they mature into adult heartworms.

Ancylostoma caninum (canine hookworm). It attaches to the intestinal mucosa and feeds on blood, causing anemia and dark, tarry diarrhea in puppies; larvae penetrating human skin cause cutaneous larva migrans.

Brachycephalic airway syndrome - stenotic nares, elongated soft palate, and everted laryngeal saccules - predisposes to airway obstruction, hypoventilation, and difficult intubation or recovery, requiring extra vigilance during induction and extubation.

Feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC) - a sterile, stress-associated inflammatory condition, not infection. Bacterial UTI is uncommon in cats under 10 years old with a normal urinary tract.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) - concentric left ventricular hypertrophy without chamber dilation, which predisposes to congestive heart failure, arterial thromboembolism, and sudden death.

Aortic thromboembolism (saddle thrombus). It classically arises from a thrombus that forms in an enlarged left atrium secondary to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and embolizes to the aortic trifurcation.

Hyperthyroidism increases glomerular filtration rate (GFR), masking underlying chronic kidney disease. Once methimazole (or another treatment) normalizes thyroid hormone and GFR falls, previously hidden azotemia can become apparent, so renal function must be monitored closely during treatment.

Vaccinating an already-infected cat provides no benefit and can give owners false reassurance. Testing first (ELISA screening) identifies infected cats so vaccination resources go only to at-risk, uninfected cats.

FVRCP (feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, panleukopenia) and rabies are core. FeLV is core for kittens but risk-based (non-core) for indoor-only adult cats.

Isosthenuria is a urine specific gravity of about 1.008-1.012 - the same concentration as plasma filtrate, meaning the kidneys can neither concentrate nor dilute urine. Paired with azotemia, it confirms the azotemia is renal in origin rather than pre-renal, since a normally functioning kidney should concentrate urine well above that range during dehydration.

0.9% NaCl for initial volume and sodium replacement. Potassium must be monitored closely and supplemented, because both insulin therapy and fluid administration drive potassium intracellularly and can precipitate life-threatening hypokalemia.

Immunohistochemistry demonstrating feline coronavirus antigen within macrophages on tissue biopsy. No single antemortem blood test is definitive, so diagnosis typically combines clinical signs, effusion analysis, and supportive lab findings.

Toxoplasma gondii, producing focal cotton-wool chorioretinal lesions. Cats are the definitive host that shed oocysts in feces, making this a key zoonosis to counsel pregnant clients about (litter box hygiene, cooked meat, gloves for gardening).

Alimentary (gastrointestinal) lymphoma, most common in older cats, presenting with weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, or a palpable abdominal mass.

Queens are induced (reflex) ovulators - ovulation is triggered by the mechanical stimulus of mating (or hormonal induction) rather than a spontaneous cycle as in the bitch. This is why queens can conceive on nearly any breeding and why unmated queens can remain in prolonged estrus.

Large colon impaction - typically from inadequate hydration, coarse feed, dental disease limiting mastication, or reduced exercise and water access.

Increased digital pulses, heat in the hoof, and reluctance to move or a rocked-back stance to unload the front feet. Grain (carbohydrate) overload is a classic trigger, causing a systemic inflammatory response and altered digital blood flow that damages the laminae.

Equine granulocytic anaplasmosis, caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum and transmitted by Ixodes ticks. The same organism causes human granulocytic anaplasmosis, making tick control a shared public-health message for clients.

Omeprazole (approximately 4 mg/kg PO once daily) for 28 days, often followed by a lower maintenance dose during periods of ongoing risk such as travel or competition.

Pneumovagina (aspiration of air and fecal contamination into the vagina) and the ascending placentitis and endometritis it can cause - common in mares with poor perineal conformation.

Horses are the most sensitive domestic species to Clostridium tetani neurotoxin. Routine toxoid vaccination is essential, and unvaccinated or under-vaccinated horses with wounds need both tetanus antitoxin and toxoid.

Strangles, caused by Streptococcus equi subsp. equi. It is highly contagious via direct contact and fomites, so affected horses require strict isolation, and many jurisdictions treat it as reportable.

An S-shaped kink in the neck with weakness and recumbency, occurring around calving when the sudden calcium demand of colostrum and milk production outpaces mobilization from bone.

Serum (or milk) beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) measurement - it identifies cows with elevated ketone bodies before overt clinical signs (decreased appetite, drop in milk yield, ketone breath odor) appear.

A high-pitched ping on simultaneous auscultation and percussion, typically over the left 9th-13th intercostal spaces, from gas trapped in the displaced, fluid-filled abomasum.

Mannheimia haemolytica, often following viral infection and the stress of transport and comingling, which impairs mucociliary clearance and allows bacterial overgrowth in the lower airway.

Interdigital necrobacillosis, primarily from Fusobacterium necrophorum (often with Trueperella pyogenes). Wet, muddy, or manure-contaminated ground that macerates interdigital skin is the key predisposing factor.

In-utero infection with a non-cytopathic strain before the fetus becomes immunocompetent (roughly before day 125-150 of gestation) creates immunotolerant PI calves that shed massive amounts of virus for life, driving abortion, congenital defects, and ongoing herd transmission.

Cattle can shed Leptospira in urine and reproductive discharges (fetal membranes, aborted fetuses) even without overt illness, and human exposure via mucous membranes or broken skin can cause Weil's disease, so appropriate PPE during calvings and necropsies is essential.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS). Besides respiratory disease in growing pigs, PRRS virus causes late-term abortion, stillbirths, and weak-born piglets in sows, making it a major cause of reproductive failure in swine herds.

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, producing a chronic, nonproductive cough with cranioventral lung consolidation. Secondary bacterial invaders often worsen disease severity in the porcine respiratory disease complex.

Scrapie is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (prion disease) of sheep and goats causing tremors, pruritus, and behavioral change, with no treatment and no cure. It is a reportable disease subject to national eradication and surveillance programs (USDA APHIS in the US).

Polioencephalomalacia (PEM), most often from thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency or sulfur toxicity. Treatment is IV thiamine - response can be dramatic if started early, before irreversible cortical necrosis develops.

Rabbits are hindgut fermenters that need continuous fiber intake to maintain normal gut motility and cecal microbial balance. A low-fiber diet (excess pellets or treats, insufficient hay) predisposes to GI hypomotility/ileus, presenting as anorexia and reduced fecal output.

Insulinoma (a functional pancreatic beta-cell tumor) causing hypoglycemia. Signs classically worsen with fasting or right before meals and improve after eating, because a normal pancreas would suppress insulin release as glucose drops, but an insulinoma keeps secreting it.

Psittacosis (avian chlamydiosis, also called ornithosis). Infected birds shed the organism in droppings and respiratory secretions, and inhalation by humans can cause an atypical pneumonia, which is why sick birds with respiratory or systemic signs warrant client hygiene counseling and testing.

A highly pathogenic paramyxovirus infection causing sudden high mortality with respiratory, neurologic (torticollis, paralysis), and hemorrhagic GI signs. Because virulent (exotic) Newcastle disease is a foreign/reportable animal disease that threatens the poultry industry, suspect cases must be reported to state or federal animal health authorities immediately.

Metabolic bone disease (nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism), caused by inadequate UVB exposure (needed for endogenous vitamin D3 synthesis) and/or a diet with insufficient calcium or an inverted calcium-to-phosphorus ratio, leading to skeletal demineralization.

CWD is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (prion disease) of deer, elk, and moose causing progressive weight loss and neurologic decline, with no treatment and no cure. It is a reportable disease; while no transmission to humans has been confirmed, public health agencies advise against consuming meat from CWD-positive animals as a precaution.

A VCPR exists when the veterinarian has assumed responsibility for medical judgments about an animal's health, has sufficient knowledge of the patient (typically through a timely examination), and is available for follow-up. A valid VCPR is legally required before prescribing, dispensing, or recommending treatment, including in most telemedicine situations.