NAVLE Practice
Questions with Verified
Answers, Exam for
Veterinary Medicine
-
,A 2 year-old budgie (parakeet) is presented with a history of limping on his left leg, which has gotten
progressively worse over the last 3 weeks. He is eating and drinking normally, but has fallen off his perch
twice in the last two days. Weakness in the left leg compared with the right one is observed. He retracts his
left more slowly and more weakly when his toe is pinched. What condition is at the top of the differential
diagnosis list?
A. Pacheco's disease
B. Polyoma virus infection
C. Renal tumor
D. Trauma - broken leg
E. Hypovitaminosis A - CORRECT ANSWER -C. Renal tumor
Think renal tumor with progressive unilateral lameness in budgies (and poor prognosis). The sciatic nerve
passes through the renal parenchyma in birds, and budgies are prone to neoplasia in general.
A 7 year old intact female poodle is presented. The owner has noted a lot of drinking and some urinary
accidents in the house in the last week and that the dog hasn't seemed herself either. Yesterday, she vomitted
twice. On physical exam the dog appears depressed, listless, has dark injected mucous membranes and a
distended tender abdomen.
T = 104F (99.5-102.5)
HR = 100 bpm (60-120)
RR = 30 brpm (15-34)
What diagnosis is of most immediate concern?
A. Pregnancy
B. Intestinal foreign body
C. Hepato-splenic tumor
D. Diabetes mellitus
,E. Pyometra - CORRECT ANSWER -E. Pyometra
Pyometra is a life-threatening emergency which typically requires immediate surgery (ovariohysterectomy) if
the cervix is closed and there is no obvious discharge. Open cervix pyometras are likely to present with a
purulent discharge, simplifying Dx, but surgical ovariohysterectomy is stll recommended. Pyometra should
always be near the top of your DDX when presented with an older intact female dog or cat with fever and
distended abdomen.
Pyrrolizidine alkaloid toxicity is caused by chronic ingestion of which one of the following plants?
A. Astragalus spp. (locoweed)
B. Lupinus spp. (lupine)
C. Nerium spp. (oleander)
D. Senecia spp. (ragwort)
E. Persea spp. (avocado) - CORRECT ANSWER -D. Senecia spp. (ragwort)
Common plants containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) are: Senecia vulga jacobea, Amsinckia intermedius,
Heliotropium europaeum, Crotalaria spectabilis. Although generally not palatable, livestock will eat these
plants when on pasture when forage is scarce. Chronic ingestion allows accumulation oof toxic levels of PA,
resulting in fibrosis. Poisoning is most common in horses and cattle. Sheep and goats are more resistant to
toxic effects.
A 15 year old cat is presented with a 3 week progression of wandering in circles to the left, standing in
corners, and dull mentation. Conscious proprioceptive deficits (knuckling) can be elicited in the right
thoracic and right pelvic limbs. There is a decreased menace response on the right, but palpebral and pupillary
light reflexes are normal in both eyes. The rest of the examination is normal. A brain tumor is suspected.
Where is the most likely location of the lesion?
A. Right brainstem
, B. Right cerebrum
C. Left brainstem
D. Left cerebrum
E. Cerebellum - CORRECT ANSWER -D. Left cerebrum
Conscious proprioception and viscual perception are affecting lesions in the contralateral cerebral hemisphere.
Circling direction is generally toward the side of the lesion. Visual loss doss not fit with brainstem lesion.
A twelve year old female spayed miniature schnauzer presents with a history of seisure-like episodes. Physical
exam reveals an irregular heart beat, CBC and panel are unremarkable except for a mild triglyceridemia. ECG
shows sinus arrest with bradycardia and tachycardia. Which one of the following choices is the most likely
diagnosis?
A. Sick sinus syndrome
B. Atrial fibrillation
C. First degree AV block
D. Ventricular tachycardia
E. All of these - CORRECT ANSWER -A. Sick sinus syndrome
The seizure-like episodes, after questioning the owner further, were actually syncopal episodes. Syncope lacks
muscle activity and post ictal behavior. Older female miniature schnauzers are overrepresented with sick sinus
syndrome.
Prior to the 1950s, heat pasteurization of milk was done principally to prevent transmission of one organism
to people. Today, that organism is reemerging in bi-national communities with ties to Mexico who consume
unpasteurized milk products. What is the organism?
A. Mycobacterium bovis
Questions with Verified
Answers, Exam for
Veterinary Medicine
-
,A 2 year-old budgie (parakeet) is presented with a history of limping on his left leg, which has gotten
progressively worse over the last 3 weeks. He is eating and drinking normally, but has fallen off his perch
twice in the last two days. Weakness in the left leg compared with the right one is observed. He retracts his
left more slowly and more weakly when his toe is pinched. What condition is at the top of the differential
diagnosis list?
A. Pacheco's disease
B. Polyoma virus infection
C. Renal tumor
D. Trauma - broken leg
E. Hypovitaminosis A - CORRECT ANSWER -C. Renal tumor
Think renal tumor with progressive unilateral lameness in budgies (and poor prognosis). The sciatic nerve
passes through the renal parenchyma in birds, and budgies are prone to neoplasia in general.
A 7 year old intact female poodle is presented. The owner has noted a lot of drinking and some urinary
accidents in the house in the last week and that the dog hasn't seemed herself either. Yesterday, she vomitted
twice. On physical exam the dog appears depressed, listless, has dark injected mucous membranes and a
distended tender abdomen.
T = 104F (99.5-102.5)
HR = 100 bpm (60-120)
RR = 30 brpm (15-34)
What diagnosis is of most immediate concern?
A. Pregnancy
B. Intestinal foreign body
C. Hepato-splenic tumor
D. Diabetes mellitus
,E. Pyometra - CORRECT ANSWER -E. Pyometra
Pyometra is a life-threatening emergency which typically requires immediate surgery (ovariohysterectomy) if
the cervix is closed and there is no obvious discharge. Open cervix pyometras are likely to present with a
purulent discharge, simplifying Dx, but surgical ovariohysterectomy is stll recommended. Pyometra should
always be near the top of your DDX when presented with an older intact female dog or cat with fever and
distended abdomen.
Pyrrolizidine alkaloid toxicity is caused by chronic ingestion of which one of the following plants?
A. Astragalus spp. (locoweed)
B. Lupinus spp. (lupine)
C. Nerium spp. (oleander)
D. Senecia spp. (ragwort)
E. Persea spp. (avocado) - CORRECT ANSWER -D. Senecia spp. (ragwort)
Common plants containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) are: Senecia vulga jacobea, Amsinckia intermedius,
Heliotropium europaeum, Crotalaria spectabilis. Although generally not palatable, livestock will eat these
plants when on pasture when forage is scarce. Chronic ingestion allows accumulation oof toxic levels of PA,
resulting in fibrosis. Poisoning is most common in horses and cattle. Sheep and goats are more resistant to
toxic effects.
A 15 year old cat is presented with a 3 week progression of wandering in circles to the left, standing in
corners, and dull mentation. Conscious proprioceptive deficits (knuckling) can be elicited in the right
thoracic and right pelvic limbs. There is a decreased menace response on the right, but palpebral and pupillary
light reflexes are normal in both eyes. The rest of the examination is normal. A brain tumor is suspected.
Where is the most likely location of the lesion?
A. Right brainstem
, B. Right cerebrum
C. Left brainstem
D. Left cerebrum
E. Cerebellum - CORRECT ANSWER -D. Left cerebrum
Conscious proprioception and viscual perception are affecting lesions in the contralateral cerebral hemisphere.
Circling direction is generally toward the side of the lesion. Visual loss doss not fit with brainstem lesion.
A twelve year old female spayed miniature schnauzer presents with a history of seisure-like episodes. Physical
exam reveals an irregular heart beat, CBC and panel are unremarkable except for a mild triglyceridemia. ECG
shows sinus arrest with bradycardia and tachycardia. Which one of the following choices is the most likely
diagnosis?
A. Sick sinus syndrome
B. Atrial fibrillation
C. First degree AV block
D. Ventricular tachycardia
E. All of these - CORRECT ANSWER -A. Sick sinus syndrome
The seizure-like episodes, after questioning the owner further, were actually syncopal episodes. Syncope lacks
muscle activity and post ictal behavior. Older female miniature schnauzers are overrepresented with sick sinus
syndrome.
Prior to the 1950s, heat pasteurization of milk was done principally to prevent transmission of one organism
to people. Today, that organism is reemerging in bi-national communities with ties to Mexico who consume
unpasteurized milk products. What is the organism?
A. Mycobacterium bovis
