Veterinary Clinical Medicine-I (General and Systemic)

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS 

• Each of the patient's problems should be considered and differential diagnoses identified and ranked according to their probability based on the signalment, history and physical findings. A complete list of differential diagnoses is listed in Table 1.

Table 1. Differential Diagnosis of Acute Abdominal Pain

• Digestive system
  • Gastric or duodenal ulcers
  • Gastritis, gastroenteritis
  • Gastric dilation, volvulus
  • Intestinal obstruction (foreign body, intussusception, incarcerated strangulated hernia)
  • Intestinal perforation, volvulus
  • Pancreatitis, pancreatic abscess
  • Gastroenteritis
  • Inflammatory Intestinal Disease (parvovirus, panleukopenia, hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, hookworm infection)
  • Portal hypertension
  • Ruptured bile duct, necrotic cholecystitis
  • Ruptured diaphragm with gastrointestinal tract compromise
• Urinary system
  • Obstructive calculi in ureter or urethra
  • Urethral obstruction with or without hydronephrosis
  • Uroperitoneum (ruptured bladder, urethra, ureter)
  • Acute nephritis (acute renal failure)
  • Pyelonephritis
  • Urethral obstruction, feline lower urinary tract disease
  • Neoplasia
• Reproductive system
  • Ruptured Pyometra
  • Metritis (post partum)
  • Labor/dystocia
  • Uterine torsion
  • Testicular torsion
• Peritoneal Cavity
  • Hemoabdomen
    • Trauma
    • Vascular Neoplasia
    • Coagulopathy
    • Diapedesis
  • Septic Abdomen
    • Gastrointestinal tract perforation (ulcer, tumor,
    • Loss of blood supply, foreign body)
    • Splenic torsion
    • Ruptured pancreatic abscess
    • Trauma
      • Blunt trauma (tissue necrosis, infection)
      • Penetrating trauma (bite, knife, gunshot wound)
    • Ruptured pyometra
  • Hydroabdomen
    • Ascites (not usually painful)
    • Feline infectious peritonitis, cholangiohepatitis
  • Uroabdomen
    • Bladder , urethral rupture
• Infectious disease
  • Infectious canine hepatitis
  • Leptospirosis
• Musculoskeletal
  • Intervertebral disc disease
  • Ruptured abdominal muscle
• Trauma--abdominal traumas can result in
  • Ruptured viscus
  • Fractures
  • Shock
• Miscellaneous
  • Ruptured tumor
  • Poisoning (lead, thallium and arsenic can cause abdominal pain)