Final year veterinary students in North America and elsewhere may soon be sitting the North American Veterinary Licensing Exam (NAVLE®) – the final test determining whether or not they can practice as veterinarians. To add to the multitude of great resources out there aiding vet students as they prepare and study for this exam, The Meowing Vet provides additional free practice questions and top tips to help vet students during their revision.

Take our practice quiz below…

Disclaimer: This post is comprised of veterinary questions intended to help aid veterinary students as they study for their NAVLE or other veterinary board exam. These questions have been chosen from a pool of topics that commonly appear on vet boards. I do not promise that these topics appear on your exam. In the event that an identical question appears on your exam, that event is purely by coincidence.

QUESTIONS

SCROLL DOWN FOR ANSWERS…

 

Question 1: assorted questions – 6 questions:

Question 1a: When determining whether anemia is regenerative or non-regenerative, what is the difference between canine and feline reticulocytosis?

Question 1b: Can alpha-2 agonists (such as xylazine, dexmedetomidine, romifidine) be safely used in pregnant cattle?

Question 1c: What are the predilection sites for osteosarcoma in dogs?

Question 1d: What is the most liver-specific hepatocellular enzyme for analyzing liver function in a horse?

Question 1e: What is the top differential for a new DIASTOLIC heart murmur detected in an ADULT dog?

Question 1f: What causes “wet tail” (proliferative ileitis) in hamsters?

 

Question 2: List the top 6 zoonotic infectious disease risks that can be transmitted to people from small ruminants to cause abortions/miscarriage in humans.

 

Question 3: What are the pathognomonic radiographic findings of HYPERTROPHIC OSTEODYSTROPHY (HOD) in dogs? Which bones are most commonly affected?

 

Question 4: Zearalenone Toxicity – 4 questions:

Question 4a: What is the source of zearalenone (a.k.a. F-2 toxin)? Which plant is most commonly affected?

Question 4b: What animal is primarily affected by this toxicity?

Question 4c: What body system is affected by zearalenone? What are the clinical signs of toxicity?

Question 4d: How is zearalenone toxicity diagnosed?

 

Question 5: Discuss what criteria can be used to distinguish equine viral arteritis (EVA) from equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) as a cause of abortions in horses.

 

Question 6: Pathognomonic Clinical Signs & Lesions: List the disease that results in the following clinical sign or pathologic lesion, or otherwise answer the question. – 6 questions:

1. Bird: “limber neck”
2. Dog: proliferative keratosis of paw pads & hypoplastic enamel
3. Horse: liquefication of white matter of the brain
4. Puppy: continuous heart murmur
5. ECG with a leap-and-plateau morphology
6. Piglet: gross sub-serosal & luminal bleeding of the small intestine (+/- cecum & colon)
7. Cat: dendritic corneal ulcer (visible with Rose Bengal stain)
8. Percussion dimpling (when a reflex hammer percusses a muscle, a divot forms & persists)
9. Cat: pars planitis of the anterior uvea (inflammatory precipitates form on the posterior lens capsule with anterior vitreal inflammatory debris and “snow banking” along the pars plana near the ciliary body)
10. Dog: “bulls-eye” lesion on the liver
11. Pig: diamond-shaped skin lesion
12. Cat: What type of paraneoplastic syndrome does pancreatic or biliary carcinoma cause?
13. Puppy or kitten: focal cranial megaesophagus with deviation of the trachea to the left
14. Cattle: “Moroccan” leather appearance of the abomasum
15. Pig: “milk spots” in the liver
16. Bird: hemorrhage in the proventriculus
17. Pig: abortion of different-staged fetuses within the same litter
18. Pig: hypermetric gait (“goose-stepping”), sitting on haunches like a dog
19. Horse: hiccups (synchronous diaphragmatic flutter) & hypocalcemia
20. Pig: star-gazing, jaw chomping, perivascular eosinophilic cuffs with laminar necrosis

 

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ANSWERS

Question 1: assorted questions

Question 1a: When determining whether anemia is regenerative or non-regenerative, what is the difference between canine and feline reticulocytosis? – ANSWER: On a blood smear, count all reticulocytes in DOGS (they mostly have aggregate retics). With CATS, count only the aggregate reticulocytes (do NOT count the punctate retics).

Question 1b: Can alpha-2 agonists (such as xylazine, dexmedetomidine, romifidine) be safely used in pregnant cattle? – ANSWER: No. Alpha-2 agonists should not be used in cattle during the last trimester of pregnancy because usage can cause abortion.

Question 1c: What are the predilection sites for osteosarcoma in dogs? – ANSWER: away from the elbow & toward the knee – Osteosarc is most common at the distal radius, proximal humerus, distal femur, distal tibia, and proximal tibia in dogs.

Question 1d: What is the most liver-specific hepatocellular enzyme for analyzing liver function in horses? – ANSWER: sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH)

Question 1e: What is the top differential for a new DIASTOLIC heart murmur detected in an ADULT dog? – ANSWER: endocarditis

Question 1f: What causes “wet tail” (proliferative ileitis) in hamsters? – ANSWER: Lawsonia intracellularis (the same cause of proliferative enteropathy in horses)

 

Question 2: List the top 6 zoonotic infectious disease risks that can be transmitted to people from small ruminants to cause abortions/miscarriage in humans. – ANSWERS (with key features):

1. Coxiella burnetti (Q fever): transmitted in placenta, milk, aerosolized
2. Listeria monocytogenes: CNS signs or abortion, hepatic necrosis in fetus
3. Brucella ovis: intercodyledonary necrosis (looks like caramel cream)
4. Toxoplasmosis: codyledonary necrosis (“pepperoni placenta”)
5. Campylobacter (enzootic abortion): hepatic necrosis in fetus
6. Chlamydophila: no gross placental lesions (lesions are microscopic)

 

Question 3: What are the pathognomonic radiographic findings of HYPERTROPHIC OSTEODYSTROPHY (HOD) in dogs? Which bones are most commonly affected? – ANSWERS:

• Pathognomonic Radiographic Findings:(*Click here for radiographic images.*)
  • Soft tissue swelling adjacent to the physis
  • Linear irregular lysis adjacent and parallel to the physis – the physis is preserved – this results in what appears to be a “DOUBLE PHYSEAL LINE”
  • (Though not pathognomonic, you may also see a metaphyseal periosteal reaction secondary to sub-periosteal hemorrhage.)
• Bones most commonly affected by HOD: radius, ulna, tibia
• Don’t confuse hypertrophic osteodystrophy (HOD) with hypertrophic osteopathy (HO). HOD is a developmental disorder of fast-growing large and giant breed puppies. HO is a periosteal reaction that starts at the digits and progresses up a limb; it is secondary to systemic disease. The names sound similar, but the disease process and radiographic changes are very different.

 

Question 4: Zearalenone Toxicity

Question 4a: What is the source of zearalenone (a.k.a. F-2 toxin)? Which plant is most commonly affected? – ANSWER: Zearalenone is a mycotoxin produced by the fungus Fusarium. It most commonly affects corn (especially when it is stored in open air).

Question 4b: What animal is primarily affected by this toxicity? – ANSWER: Pigs

Question 4c: What body system is affected by zearalenone? What are the clinical signs of toxicity? – ANSWER: Reproductive system – Estrogenic effect – Possible results: Either anestrus or prolonged estrus with decreased libido and standing behavior, vaginal or rectal prolapse, decreased litter size, pseudopregnancy, or early embryonic death. Causes a turgid uterus & ovarian hypoplasia.

Question 4d: How is zearalenone toxicity diagnosed? – ANSWER: feed analysis or the presence of increased plasma progesterone

 

Question 5: Discuss what criteria can be used to distinguish equine viral arteritis (EVA) from equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) as a cause of abortions in horses. – ANSWER:

• Time of respiratory disease:
  • EVA: abortion is associated with the time that the respiratory infection is acquired (the fetus dies from starvation)
  • EHV-1: abortion usually occurs well after the outbreak of the respiratory disease (the fetus dies from being infected with the virus); Note: the central nervous system can also be affected by EHV-1
• Time of abortion:
  • EVA: can cause abortion at any time during pregnancy
  • EHV-1: primarily results in late-term abortions
• Gross appearance of the aborted fetus:
  • EVA: the fetus is often autolyzed
  • EHV-1: the fetus looks normal

 

Question 6: Pathognomonic Clinical Signs & Lesions: List the disease that results in the following clinical sign or pathologic lesion, or otherwise answer the question.: – ANSWERS:

1. Bird: “limber neck” = botulism
2. Dog: proliferative keratosis of paw pads & hypoplastic enamel = canine distemper virus
3. Horse: liquefication of white matter of the brain = equine leukoencephalomalacia (ELEM) from fumonisin B1, a mycotoxin from Fusarium that grows on corn
4. Puppy: continuous heart murmur = patent ductus arteriosus (PDA)
5. ECG with a leap-and-plateau morphology = constrictive pericarditis
6. Piglet: gross sub-serosal & luminal bleeding of the small intestine (+/- cecum & colon) = clostridial scours (Clostridium perfringens type C)
7. Cat: dendritic corneal ulcer (visible with Rose Bengal stain) = feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1) keratitis
8. Percussion dimpling (when a reflex hammer percusses a muscle, a divot forms & persists) = myotonia (secondary to various etiologies)
9. Cat: pars planitis of the anterior uvea (inflammatory precipitates form on the posterior lens capsule with anterior vitreal inflammatory debris and “snow banking” along the pars plana near the ciliary body) = feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)-associated uveitis
10. Dog: “bulls-eye” lesion on the liver = Histoplasmosis
11. Pig: diamond-shaped skin lesion = Erisypelas
12. Cat: What type of paraneoplastic syndrome does pancreatic or biliary carcinoma cause? = non-pruritic alopecia that develops acutely and is bilaterally symmetrical; results in glistening skin in which the hair easily epilates off
13. Puppy or kitten: focal cranial megaesophagus with deviation of the trachea to the left = persistent right aortic arch (PRAA)
14. Cattle: “Moroccan” leather appearance of the abomasum = Ostertagia
15. Pig: “milk spots” in the liver = Ascaris suum
16. Bird: hemorrhage in the proventriculus = Newcastle Disease
17. Pig: abortion of different-staged fetuses within the same litter = porcine parvovirus
18. Pig: hypermetric gait (“goose-stepping”), sitting on haunches like a dog = hog cholera / classical swine fever
19. Horse: hiccups (synchronous diaphragmatic flutter) & hypocalcemia = cantharidin toxicity (from ingesting blister beetles)
20. Pig: star-gazing, jaw chomping, perivascular eosinophilic cuffs with laminar necrosis = hypernatremia due to salt toxicosis / water deprivation

 

SCROLL DOWN FOR TOP STUDY TIPS…

Whether your primary NAVLE study resource is ZukuReview or VetPrep (both are great!), supplementing your studies by reviewing your own vet school notes or reading summaries on various veterinary topics and diseases (such as in the Merck Veterinary Manual), makes for excellent revision. Additionally, taking practice tests with sample questions (like those featured above) is an important component of test preparation by helping you know what to expect for the actual exam. Check out other key study tips below!

Top NAVLE Study Tips

Other topics to study as they commonly appear on veterinary board exams:

• Reportable diseases
• Dentition (all species)
• Gestation period (all species)
• Salter-Harris fractures
• Lung patterns
• Horner’s syndrome (characteristics)
• 4 Hypersensitivity reactions
• Common causes of diarrhea in calves & pigs 💩
• Common respiratory diseases in horses & poultry
• Clostridial diseases in ruminants
• Vesicular diseases
• Specificity vs. sensitivity calculations

Be sure to REALLY KNOW the…

Top 10 Diseases of dogs 🐕, cats 🐈, horses 🐎, cattle 🐄, & swine 🐖

Top 3 Diseases of small ruminants 🐑, birds 🐓, camelids 🐪, exotics 🐇, wildlife 🦌

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Wishing all vet students sitting the NAVLE or other veterinary board exam the best of luck! Study smart, get a good night’s sleep, and take care of yourselves. Remember, at the end of the day, it’s just an exam. You got this!!! 🤞

– Maranda Elswick, DVM

 

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These questions originally appeared on The Meowing Vet’s Instagram profile, @themeowingvet.