The document discusses stress and digestive disorders in animals. It defines stress as a systemic state that develops from long-term exposure to stressors. Common stressors include road transportation, climate, crowding, and nutritional deficiencies. Transportation is considered highly stressful and results in increased cortisol, leukocytosis, and dehydration in animals. Prolonged stress can lead to stress-related diseases like anaphylaxis, which is an acute allergic reaction caused by exposure to an antigen. Anaphylaxis causes respiratory distress, anxiety, and collapse. Treatment involves epinephrine and corticosteroids to counter the allergic reaction. The document examines the causes, signs, pathology, and treatment of stress and digestive disorders in

1. Digestive System
Disorders
D R . SA I DA Z I NNURINE
M S ST UD ENT
D E PARTMENT O F M E DI CI NE & S URGERY
C HAT TOGRAM V E T ERI NARY & A NI MAL S C I ENCES UN I VERSITY
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2. Stress Syndrome
Stress is a systemic state that develops as a result of the long-term application of stressors.
CAUSES OF STRESS
For animals, a satisfactory environment is one that provides
thermal comfort, physical comfort, control of disease and behavioral satisfaction. An environment that
is inadequate for these factors will lead to stress. The environmental influences that elicit physiological
responses from animals are outlined below and some can be classified as stressors.
 Road transportation
 Climate
 Excessive physical effort
 Pain
 Crowding
 Presence or absence of bedding.
 Nutritional deficiencies
 Herding and flocking instincts
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3. Stress and road transportation
In unaccustomed cattle that are forced to run and are then herded together, there are increases
in the
◦ hematocrit and blood concentrations of catecholarnines, cortisol, total lipid, glucose and lactose.
Transportation of calves, 4-6 months of age, for only 4 hours results in a
◦ leukocytosis with neutrophilia, a decrease in T-lymphocyte population, a suppression of lymphocyte
blastogenesis and enhancement of neutrophil activity.
During transportation, plasma cortisol concentrations and serum creatine kinase activities
increase.
There is clinical evidence of dehydration and increases in serum non-esterified fatty acid, beta
hydroxybutyrate and urea concentrations, which reflect changes in normal feeding patterns.
Based on plasma cortisol concentrations, confinement of young bulls on a truck and motion are
considered stressful factors in road transport.
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4. Stress Syndromes
Stress-related psychosomatic disease
In humans there is a significant neuronal input from the cerebral cortex to the hypothalamus in
response to the psychological pressure generated by stress.
Inability to monitor anxiety and feelings of harassment in our animals makes it impossible to
determine the presence or otherwise of psychological stress in them. However, psychosomatic
diseases as they occur in humans are almost unknown in farm animals.
The pathogenesis of psychosomatic disease appears to be based on the ability of the cerebral
cortex to effectively override the normal feedback mechanisms by which the pituitary gland
regulates the secretion of corticosteroids from the adrenal cortex.
In other words, the normal adaptive mechanisms do not operate and hyperadrenocorticism and
adrenal exhaustion develop.
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5. Clinical Pathology
The direct criterion of stress is the assay of plasma ACTH;
◦ stress may be indirectly assayed using plasma cortisol concentration, which is a less expensive and
more widely available assay.
◦ Salivary cortisol concentration is a good indicator of stress in sheep. Saliva samples are easy to collect
and the laboratory assay is simple to perform.
During prolonged periods of road transportation of cattle and sheep, there are significant
changes in
◦ serum concentrations of total proteins, non –esterified fatty acids (NEFAs), glucose, creatine kinase,
beta- hydroxybutyrate and urea.
These changes can be used to assess the degree of stress and the deprivation from feed and
water during transportation.
◦ Physical stress such as fatigue or exercise will result in increases in creatine kinase.
◦ Psychological stressors such as fear result in elevations of cortisol and corticosterone.
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6. Anaphylaxis And Anaphylactic Shock
Anaphylaxis is an acute disease caused by antigen-antibody reaction. If severe it may result in
anaphylactic shock.
Reaction may occur at the site of exposure or in other areas. In general the reaction is due to
sensitization to a protein substance entering the bloodstream and a second exposure to the
same substance.
Etiology
Parenteral administration of a drug or biological product.
Repeated intravenous injection of biological preparations such as glandular extracts
Repeated blood transfusions from the same donor
Repeated injections of vaccines, e.g. those against foot-and-mouth disease and rabies.
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7. Pathogenesis
Antigen reacting with circulating or cell-bound antibody.
Homocytotropic antibody has been detected in farm animals but the classes of antibody
involved in anaphylactic reactions have not been fully identified and are likely to be diverse.
Anaphylactic antibodies may be transferred via colostrum.
Antigen-antibody reactions occurring in contact with, or in close proximity to fixed tissue mast
cells, basophils and neutrophil leukocytes result in the activation of these cells to release
pharmacologically active substances that mediate the subsequent anaphylactic reaction.
These substances include biogenic amines such as histamine, serotonin and catecholamines
vasoactive polypeptides such as kinins, cationic proteins and anaphylatoxins; vasoactive lipids
such as prostaglandins and slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis (SRS-A); and others.
Histamine is of less importance as a mediator in farm animals than in other species and that
prostaglandins and SRS-A are of greater importance.
Bradykinin and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) are also known to act as mediators in cattle.
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8. Clinical Findings
Cattle
Initially there is a sudden onset of
severe dyspnea, muscle shivering and anxiety.
In some cases there is profuse salivation, in others moderate bloat and yet others diarrhea.
Additionally
◦ urticaria, angioneurotic edema and rhinitis.
◦ Muscle tremor may be severe and a rise in temperature to 40.5°C (105°F) may be observed.
On auscultation of the chest there may be
increased breath sounds, crackles if edema is present,
emphysema in the later stages if dyspnea has been severe.
Collapse, dyspnea, wild paddling, nystagmus, cyanosis, cough and the discharge of a creamy,
frothy fluid from the nostrils.
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9. Clinical Pathology
Blood histamine levels may or may not be increased.
Serological tests to determine the presence of antibodies to plant proteins in the diet have been
used in this way.
There is a marked increase in packed cell volume, a high plasma potassium concentration and a
neutropenia.
Necropsy findings
Confined to the lungs and are in the form of severe pulmonary edema and vascular engorgement.
Pulmonary emphysema and widespread petechiation in the horse may be accompanied by
massive edema and extravasations of blood in the wall of the large bowel.
There may also be subcutaneous edema and lesions of laminitis.
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10. Treatment
A few minutes' delay may result in the death of the animal.
Epinephrine(I/M) is the most effective treatment for anaphylaxis and
anaphylactic shock.
Corticosteroids potentiate the effect of epinephrine and may be given
immediately following the epinephrine.
Antihistamines
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11. THANK YOU
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