Free Veterinary Pharmacology MCQs with Answers

60 Veterinary Pharmacology MCQs from Veterinary Science, each with the correct answer and a written explanation of why it is correct. Free and unlimited, with no account needed.

Covers how drugs act in animals, including pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, routes of administration, dosage forms, adverse effects and drug interactions. Major groups include antimicrobials, antiparasitics, analgesics, anaesthetics, anti-inflammatory drugs, hormones and cardiovascular medicines, with attention to withdrawal periods and species differences.

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60 questions · page 2 of 3

  • A. It shifts the agonist dose-response curve to the right
  • B. It shifts the agonist dose-response curve to the left
  • C. It permanently increases the agonist maximum effect
  • D. It produces the same effect as the agonist alone

Explanation: A competitive antagonist competes reversibly with an agonist at the same receptor site, so a higher agonist concentration is needed to…

Correct answer: It shifts the agonist dose-response curve to the right
  • A. Inhibition of microsomal enzymes
  • B. Induction of microsomal enzymes
  • C. Permanent reduction of renal filtration
  • D. Complete blockage of biliary secretion

Explanation: Phenobarbital induces hepatic microsomal enzymes, especially cytochrome P450 enzymes.

Correct answer: Induction of microsomal enzymes
  • A. Voltage-gated calcium channels
  • B. Ligand-gated chloride channels
  • C. Voltage-gated sodium channels
  • D. ATP-sensitive potassium channels

Explanation: Local anaesthetics block voltage-gated sodium channels in neuronal membranes.

Correct answer: Voltage-gated sodium channels
  • A. Ranitidine
  • B. Metoclopramide
  • C. Prazosin
  • D. Lidocaine

Explanation: Lidocaine is an amide-type local anaesthetic that blocks sodium channels and produces reversible loss of sensation.

Correct answer: Lidocaine
  • A. Cestodes and trematodes
  • B. Adult heartworms only
  • C. Gastrointestinal nematodes only
  • D. Ticks and mites only

Explanation: Praziquantel is highly effective against many tapeworms and flukes, which are cestodes and trematodes.

Correct answer: Cestodes and trematodes
  • A. Direct stimulation of bacterial growth
  • B. Suppression of inflammatory mediator production
  • C. Inhibition of renal sodium excretion only
  • D. Activation of skeletal muscle contraction

Explanation: Glucocorticoids suppress inflammation by altering gene transcription and reducing the production of cytokines, prostaglandins and other…

Correct answer: Suppression of inflammatory mediator production
  • A. Atipamezole
  • B. Naloxone
  • C. Buprenorphine
  • D. Flumazenil

Explanation: Buprenorphine is a partial mu opioid agonist that provides analgesia and generally causes less respiratory depression than full mu…

Correct answer: Buprenorphine
  • A. Irreversible destruction of central receptors
  • B. Permanent binding to plasma proteins
  • C. Slow conversion into an inactive metabolite
  • D. Rapid redistribution from the brain to other tissues

Explanation: After intravenous administration, propofol rapidly leaves the brain and redistributes into muscle and fat, causing recovery from the…

Correct answer: Rapid redistribution from the brain to other tissues
  • A. Proton pump inhibitors
  • B. Muscarinic agonists
  • C. Loop diuretics
  • D. Cholinesterase inhibitors

Explanation: Proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole block the gastric hydrogen-potassium ATPase, the final step in acid secretion.

Correct answer: Proton pump inhibitors
  • A. It is always absorbed completely by mouth
  • B. Toxic and effective concentrations are close together
  • C. It cannot cross biological membranes
  • D. Its elimination is independent of dose

Explanation: A narrow therapeutic index means that the toxic dose is close to the effective dose.

Correct answer: Toxic and effective concentrations are close together
  • A. Plasma protein binding
  • B. Gastrointestinal absorption
  • C. Hepatic biotransformation
  • D. Tissue redistribution

Explanation: Hepatic biotransformation chemically modifies many lipid-soluble drugs, usually making them easier to eliminate in urine or bile.

Correct answer: Hepatic biotransformation
  • A. It produces no response at any dose
  • B. It reduces the response of every unrelated receptor
  • C. It permanently blocks the receptor
  • D. It produces a submaximal response even at full receptor occupancy

Explanation: A partial agonist activates its receptor but has lower intrinsic efficacy than a full agonist, so its maximum response is limited.

Correct answer: It produces a submaximal response even at full receptor occupancy
  • A. Xylazine
  • B. Ketamine
  • C. Acepromazine
  • D. Diazepam

Explanation: Atipamezole is an alpha2 adrenergic antagonist that reverses sedation and other effects produced by xylazine and related alpha2 agonists.

Correct answer: Xylazine
  • A. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor
  • B. N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor
  • C. GABA-A receptor
  • D. Mu opioid receptor

Explanation: Ketamine is a dissociative anaesthetic that mainly blocks N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, reducing excitatory glutamate transmission.

Correct answer: N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor
  • A. Lincosamides
  • B. Macrolides
  • C. Tetracyclines
  • D. Sulfonamides

Explanation: Tetracyclines bind the 30S ribosomal subunit and prevent attachment of aminoacyl-tRNA, thereby inhibiting bacterial protein synthesis.

Correct answer: Tetracyclines
  • A. Cuticular collagen
  • B. Mitochondrial DNA
  • C. Neuronal sodium channels
  • D. Microtubules

Explanation: Benzimidazoles bind parasite beta-tubulin and disrupt microtubule formation, impairing nutrient uptake and cellular function.

Correct answer: Microtubules
  • A. Phase II
  • B. Phase I
  • C. Phase III
  • D. Phase zero

Explanation: Glucuronidation is a Phase II conjugation reaction that generally produces a more water-soluble metabolite.

Correct answer: Phase II
  • A. Enterohepatic recycling
  • B. First-pass effect
  • C. Zero-order elimination
  • D. Volume displacement

Explanation: The first-pass effect is presystemic metabolism in the gut wall and liver after oral absorption, which reduces the amount reaching…

Correct answer: First-pass effect
  • A. A constant mass is eliminated per hour
  • B. Elimination stops when concentration falls
  • C. A constant fraction is eliminated per unit time
  • D. Clearance increases without limit as dose rises

Explanation: In first-order kinetics, the amount eliminated per unit time depends on concentration, so a constant fraction is removed during each time…

Correct answer: A constant fraction is eliminated per unit time
  • A. Naloxone
  • B. Medetomidine
  • C. Pentobarbital
  • D. Acepromazine

Explanation: Acepromazine is a phenothiazine tranquilizer used for sedation and preanaesthetic medication, although it does not provide reliable…

Correct answer: Acepromazine