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BackgroundDiagnosis of central nervous system (CNS) lesions in recumbent dairy cattle (RDC) is challenging because neurologic examination is limited and medical imaging often is challenging or unrewarding. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis is useful in the diagnosis of CNS disorders in cattle. However, its utility in identifying spinal cord lesions in RDC remains to be evaluated.Hypothesis/ObjectivesWe hypothesized that CSF analysis would discriminate between RDC with and without spinal cord lesions.AnimalsTwenty‐one RDC with spinal cord lesions (RDC+) and 19 without (RDC−) were evaluated.MethodsSpinal cord lesions were confirmed at necropsy. Signalment, clinical findings, and CSF results were compared retrospectively. Total nucleated cell count and differential, protein concentration, and red blood cell count in RDC+ and RDC− were compared.ResultsNeoplasia, trauma, and infectious processes were the most frequent spinal cord lesions identified. Cerebrospinal fluid protein concentrations and TNCC were significantly higher in RDC+ compared to RDC− (P = .0092 and P = .0103, respectively). Additionally, CSF protein concentrations and TNCC in RDC− were lower than previously published reference ranges. Using an interpretation rule based on CSF protein concentration and TNCC, it was possible to accurately identify 13 RDC with spinal cord lesions and 6 RDC without lesions. It was not possible to determine spinal cord status in the remaining 18 RDC.Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceCerebrospinal fluid analysis is valuable in the evaluation of spinal cord status in RDC. The prognosis associated with these findings remains to be determined.

BackgroundThreshold values for total nucleated cell count (TNCC) and protein concentration in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of downer dairy cows suggestive of a spinal cord lesion were recently published.ObjectivesDetermine short‐ and long‐term survival of downer cows that underwent CSF analysis using the reported threshold values. Evaluate the prognostic value of these threshold values to predict short‐ and long‐term survival.AnimalsTwo hundred and fourteen downer adult dairy cows that underwent CSF analysis during hospitalization at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vétérinaire (CHUV) of the Université de Montréal.MethodsRetrospective study. Medical records of downer adult dairy cows presented to the hospital between January 2006 and October 2014 for which CSF analysis results were available were studied. Short‐term (discharge from hospital) and long‐term (completion of lactation) survival were determined and compared in accordance with CSF TNCC and protein concentration, using a Chi‐square test.ResultsCows with CSF TNCC and/or protein concentration above the threshold values had a significantly lower short‐term survival rate (P = .02). The odds of nonsurvival of cows with one or both CSF values above the threshold values was 2.16 times higher than the odds for cows with values under the threshold values. CSF TNCC >4.5 cells/μL had sensitivity and specificity of 17.3% (95% CI: 10.7%‐25.7%) and 92.3% (95% CI: 85.4%‐96.6%), respectively, for predicting short‐term nonsurvival. CSF protein concentration >0.39 g/L had sensitivity and specificity of 20.9% (95% CI: 13.7%‐29.7%) and 91.4% (95% CI: 84.2%‐96.0%), respectively.ConclusionsCSF analysis above threshold values used in this study is associated with increased odds of short‐term nonsurvival.

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