Veterinary Clinical Medicine-I (General and Systemic)

GENERAL METHODS OF EXAMINATION

• These include inspection, palpation, percussion and auscultation.

Inspection

• Means observing the animal from a distance, simple and widely used in veterinary medicine it helps obtaining an idea about the general characters of diseased animal.
• The following information can be obtained by inspecting the animal:
  • General demeanor, posture and gait.
  • Body score of the animal (thin, emaciated, obese).
  • Depression, anxiety or frenzy.
  • Skin diseases and lesions.
  • Lameness.
  • Abnormal odour.
  • Type of respiration, rate and rhythm.
• Inspection should always be performed in daylight except in emergency where artificial light may be used.

Palpation

• Using the sense of touch to obtain information about the organs examined, this is called direct palpation. Indirect palpation can sometimes be used by means of a probe.
• When palpating an organ or a lesion, the following information can be obtained:
  • Sensitivity (pain and tenderness) 
  • Temperature (hot, cold or normal) 
  • Consistency (resilient, doughy, firm, hard, fluctuating or emphysematous).

Percussion

• Obtaining information about internal organs using a plexor and pleximeter (indirect percussion) or using the fingers (direct percussion).
• Tapping on the area of examination and noting the sound is used to obtain information about the physical condition of certain organs.
• It also reveals the sensitivity of this organ.
• Percussive sounds
  •  Resonant
    • This is the sound heard over a normal lung and indicates presence of air in tissues.
  •  Tympanic
    • Sound produced by percussion over a hollow organ containing gas (e.g. Rumen).
  •  Dull
    • The sound heard in case of percussion of solid tissues containing no air.
    • A change of percussive sound (e.g. change from resonant to dull over the lung area) indicates disease of the organ.

Auscultation

• Listening to sounds produced by the functional activity of an organ.
• Organs that can be auscultated are
  • The heart.
  • The lungs.
  • The rumen.
• Direct auscultation is performed by using the ear, whereas indirect auscultation is performed by means of a stethoscope.