Small Animal Medical Differential Diagnosis

PART ONE: CLINICAL SIGNS APPROACH TO DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS



Abdominal Distension
Abdominal Effusions and Ascites
Abdominal Pain, Acute
Aggressive Behavior
Alopecia
Anaphylaxis
Anuria and Oliguria
Anxiety and Phobias
Ascites
Ataxia and Incoordination
Blindness
Bradycardia, Sinus
Cachexia and Muscle Wasting
Compulsive Behavior Disorders
Constipation
Coughing
Cyanosis
Deafness
Diarrhea, Acute
Diarrhea, Chronic
Dyschezia
Dysphagia
Dyspnea
Dysuria
Ecchymoses
Edema
Epistaxis
Failure to Grow/Failure to Thrive
Fever of Unknown Origin
Flatulence
Gagging
Genital dermatoses - NEW!
Halitosis
Head Tilt
Hematemesis
Hematochezia
Hematuria
Hemoptysis
Hemorrhage, Prolonged
Horner's Syndrome
Hyperpigmentation (increased melanin in the epidermis) - NEW!
Hyperthermia
Hypopigmentation (due to melanocyte destruction, dysfunction, or abnormal distribution of melanosomes) - NEW!
Hypothermia
Icterus (Jaundice)
Inappropriate Elimination
Incontinence, Fecal
Incontinence, Urinary
Infertility, Female (Canine)
Infertility, Male (Canine)
Joint Swelling
Lameness
Lymphadenopathy (Lymph Node Enlargement)
Melena
Muscle Wasting
Nasal Discharge
Nystagmus
Obesity
Oliguria
Pallor
Papules and Pustules
Paresis and Paralysis
Petechiae and Ecchymoses
Pollakiuria
Polyuria and Polydipsia
Pruritus
Ptyalism (Excessive Salivation)
Regurgitation
Reverse Sneezing - NEW!
Scaling and Crusting - NEW!
Seizure
Sneezing and Nasal Discharge
Stertor and Stridor
Stranguria, Dysuria, and Pollakiuria
Stomatitis
Stupor and Coma
Syncope
Tachycardia, Sinus
Tenesmus and Dyschezia
Tremor
Urine, Discolored
Urticaria/Angioedema
Vision Loss, Sudden
Vomiting
Weakness
Weight Gain
Weight Loss

PART TWO: SYSTEMIC APPROACH TO DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS

Section I





Cardiopulmonary Disorders
Arrhythmias
Aspiration Pneumonia- NEW!
Atrioventricular Valve Disease, Chronic (Mitral or Tricuspid Valve)
Cardiomegaly
Chylothorax - NEW!
Congenital Heart Disease
Heart Failure
Heartworm Disease
Hypertension
Laryngeal and Pharyngeal Disease
Lower Respiratory Tract Disease
Mediastinal Disease
Myocardial Diseases
Murmurs
Pericardial Effusion
Pleural Effusion
Pulmonary Disease
Pulmonary Edema
Pulmonary Thromboembolism
Tachycardia, Sinus
Section II

Dermatologic Disorders
Allergic Skin Disease
Alopecia, Endocrine
Erosions and Ulcerations of Skin or Mucous Membranes - NEW!
Folliculitis
Otitis Externa, Chronic
Parasitic Dermatoses
Pigmentation
Pyoderma
Section III

Endocrinologic and Metabolic Disorders
Acromegaly
Adrenal Tumors
Cretinism (Hypothyroidism in Puppies)
Diabetes Insipidus
Diabetic Ketoacidosis
Diabetes Mellitus
Gastrinoma (Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome)
Glucagonoma
Hyperadrenocorticism
Hyperglycemia
Hypoadrenocorticism
Hypoglycemia
Hyponatremia/Hyperkalemia
Insulinoma
Parathyroidism
Pheochromocytoma
Pituitary Dwarfism
Thyroid Disease
Section IV

Gastroenterologic Disorders
Chronic Constipation, Feline - NEW!
Diarrhea
Dental and Oral Cavity Diseases
Diseases of the Tongue - NEW!
Salivary Gland Disease
Esophageal Disease
Stomach Disorders
Small Intestinal Disease
Large Intestinal Disease
Ileus
Malabsorptive Diseases
Perianal Disease
Protein-Losing Enteropathy
Fecal Incontinence
Section V

Hematologic Disorders
Anemia
Coagulopathies, Inherited and Acquired
Leukocyte Disorders
Platelet Dysfunction
Splenitis/Splenomegaly
Thrombocytopenia
Section VI

Immunologic and Immune-Mediated Disorders
Autoimmune Skin Diseases
Immune-Mediated Disease
Immune System Components
Mechanisms of Immunopathologic Injury - NEW!
Organ Systems Affected by Autoimmune Disorders in the Dog and Cat -- NEW!
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
Section VII

Infectious Disease
Anaplasmosis, Canine - NEW!
Bacterial Infections, Systemic
Ehrlichiosis, Canine
Influenza, Canine - NEW!
Neorickettsiosis, Canine
Mycoses, Systemic - NEW!
Polysystemic Protozoal Diseases
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Sepsis and Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS)
Vaccines, Recommended Core vs. Non-Core - NEW!
Viruses, Canine
Viruses, Feline
Section VIII

Joint and Bone Disorders
Arthritis
Bone Disorders
Section IX

Liver and Exocrine Pancreatic Disorders
Cholangitis and Cholangiohepatitis, Feline
Exocrine Pancreatic Disease
Gallbladder and Extrahepatic Biliary Disease
Hepatic Encephalopathy
Hepatic Lipidosis, Feline
Hepatobiliary Disease
Hepatomegaly and Microhepatica
Hyperlipidemia
Pancreatitis
Portosystemic Shunt, Congenital
Vacuolar Hepatopathy, Canine
Section X

Neoplasia
Chemotherapeutic Agent Toxicity
Corticosteroid Therapy
Humoral Hypercalcemia - NEW!
Histiocytic Disease
Lymphoma
Paraneoplastic Syndromes
Sarcomas
Thyroid Neoplasms
Tumors
Section XI

Neurologic and Neuromuscular Disorders
Brain Disease, Congenital or Hereditary
Cognitive Dysfunction
Cranial Nerve (CN) Deficits
Head Tilt
Inflammatory Disease of the Nervous System
Intracranial Neoplasms
Myasthenia Gravis
Myositis and Myopathies
Neurologic Examination
Paroxysmal Disorders Confused with Epileptic Seizures - NEW!
Peripheral Neuropathies
Spinal Cord Disease
Spinal Cord Lesions
Systemic Disease
Vestibular Disease
Section XII

Ocular Disorders
Anisocoria - NEW!
Blindness, Acute
Corneal Color Changes - NEW!
Eyelids and Periocular Skin - NEW!
Non-healing Corneal Erosions (Ulcers) in Dogs - NEW!
Ocular Manifestations of Systemic Diseases
Ocular Neoplasia - NEW!
Red Eye - NEW!
Retinal Detachment - NEW!
Uveitis - NEW!
Section XIII

Toxicology
Chemical Toxicoses
Plant Toxicoses
Venomous Bites and Stings
Section XIV

Urogenital Disorders
Differentiating between urine marking and inappropriate elimination in cats - NEW!
Glomerular Disease
Indications for Cytoscopy - NEW!
Mammary Masses - NEW!
Prostatic Disease
Proteinuria in Dogs and Cats - NEW!
Pyelonephritis, BacterialRenal Disease
Reproductive Disorders
Ureteral Diseases
Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
Uroliths, Canine
Vaginal Discharge
Section XV

Pain Diagnosis - NEW!

Acute Pain Assessment - NEW!
Acute Pain Preemptive Scoring System (examples in each category) - NEW!
Chronic Pain Assessment - NEW!


PART THREE: LABORATORY VALUES AND INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS



Acetylcholine Receptor Antibody
Activated Coagulation Time (ACT)
Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (APTT)
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH), Endogenous
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH) Stimulation Test
Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT, formerly SGPT)
Albumin
Alkaline Phosphatase, Serum (SAP or ALP)
Ammonia
Amylase, Serum
Anion Gap
Antinuclear Antibody (ANA)
Arterial Blood Gases
Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST, formerly SGOT)
Basophil Count
Bicarbonate (HCO3-)
Bile Acids
Bilirubin
Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)
Buccal Mucosal Bleeding Time (BMBT)
Calcium (Ca)
Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)
Chloride (Cl)
Cholesterol (CH)
Cholinesterase
Cobalamin
Complete Blood Count (CBC)
Coombs' Test
Cortisol
Creatine Kinase (CK, f NEW!ormerly CPK)
Creatinine
Cytologic Criteria of Malignancy - NEW!
Cytologic Features of Discrete Cell (Round Cell) Tumors - NEW!
Cytologic Features of Mesenchymal Cells - NEW!
Cytologic Features of Normal Epithelial Cells - NEW!
Cytology of Ear Canal Swabs - NEW!
Cytology of Nasal Swabs or Flush Specimens - NEW!
Dexamethasone Suppression Tests
Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC), Diagnostic Tests
Eosinophil Count
Erythrocyte Count (Red Blood Cell [RBC] Count)
Folate
Fructosamine
Gamma Glutamyltransferase (GGT)
Globulin,�p. xx
Glucose
Glucose Tolerance Test
Glycosylated Hemoglobin
Heartworm Antibody, Feline
Heartworm Antigen, Canine
Heartworm Antigen, Feline
Hematocrit (Packed Cell Volume, PCV)
Hemoglobin
Hemolysis, Prevention in Laboratory Samples
Immunoassays
Insulin
Iron-Binding Capacity (Total, TIBC)/Ferritin
Joint Fluid (Arthrocentesis)
Lipase
Lymphocyte Count
Magnesium (Mg)
Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV)
Methemoglobinemia
Methods of Sample Collection for Cytology
Monocyte Count
Myoglobinuria
Neutrophil Count
Osmolality
Packed Cell Volume
Parathyroid Hormone (PTH)/Ionized Calcium
Phosphorus (P)
Platelet Count
Polymerase Chain Reaction, p. xx - NEW!
Potassium (K)
Protein, Total (TP)
Prothrombin Time (PT)
Red Blood Cell (RBC) Count
Reticulocyte Count
Sodium (Na)
Thoracocentesis Fluid
Thrombocyte Count
Thyroid Function Tests
Toxoplasmosis Antibody Titer
Triglycerides
Trypsinogen-like Immunoreactivity (TLI)/Pancreatic Lipase Immunoreactivity (PLI)
Urinalysis
Urine Cortisol/Creatinine Ratio
von Willebrand's Factor
White Blood Cell (WBC) Count

Index