DVM Trivia 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the name of the reflex that causes a cat to right itself during a fall, allowing it to land feet-first?
- Babinski reflex
- Righting reflex (Correct answer)
- Patellar reflex
- Flexor reflex
Correct answer: Righting reflex
The righting reflex (aerial righting) is mediated by the vestibular system and allows cats to orient their body during a fall.
Question 2: Which vitamin deficiency in cats results in 'yellow fat disease' (steatitis)?
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E (Correct answer)
- Vitamin K
Correct answer: Vitamin E
Vitamin E deficiency, often from diets high in unsaturated fatty acids (e.g., oily fish), causes oxidative damage to adipose tissue known as steatitis or yellow fat disease.
Question 3: The 'wet form' of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is characterized by accumulation of fluid due to which pathological process?
- Lymphatic obstruction
- Vasculitis and increased vascular permeability (Correct answer)
- Portal hypertension
- Hypoalbuminemia from malnutrition
Correct answer: Vasculitis and increased vascular permeability
FIP's effusive (wet) form results from immune complex deposition causing pyogranulomatous vasculitis with leakage of high-protein fluid into body cavities.
Question 4: What is the Coggins test used to detect in horses?
- Equine herpesvirus 1
- Equine infectious anemia (Correct answer)
- Strangles (Streptococcus equi)
- West Nile virus
Correct answer: Equine infectious anemia
The Coggins test (agar gel immunodiffusion) detects antibodies to equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) and is required for interstate transport of horses.
Question 5: Which snake venom component primarily causes local tissue necrosis in pit viper envenomation of dogs?
- Neurotoxins
- Phospholipases and proteases (Correct answer)
- Cardiotoxins
- Conotoxins
Correct answer: Phospholipases and proteases
Phospholipases, proteases, and hyaluronidase in crotalid venom cause local cellulitis, myonecrosis, and tissue destruction at the bite site.
Question 6: A cow is diagnosed with hardware disease (traumatic reticuloperitonitis). Which magnet placement is used both therapeutically and preventively?
- Abomasum
- Rumen
- Reticulum (Correct answer)
- Omasum
Correct answer: Reticulum
A bar magnet is administered orally and sits in the reticulum, where it captures ingested metallic foreign bodies before they can penetrate the wall.
Question 7: Which parasitic condition in dogs is commonly called 'heartworm disease,' and what is its definitive host?
- Toxocara canis — dog
- Dirofilaria immitis — dog (Correct answer)
- Dirofilaria immitis — mosquito
- Ancylostoma caninum — dog
Correct answer: Dirofilaria immitis — dog
Dirofilaria immitis causes heartworm disease, with the dog (and other canids) serving as the definitive host and mosquitoes as the intermediate host.
DVM Trivia 3
What is the name of the reflex that causes a cat to right itself during a fall, allowing it to land feet-first?