Clinical and laboratory findings in 60 cows with type-3 abomasal ulcer

Abstract

This study involved 60 cows aged 1.9 to 13 years (mean 4.8 ± 2.3 years) with type-3 abomasal ulcer. The most common clinical signs were, in decreasing order of frequency, partial or complete anorexia (98%), obtunded demeanour (95%), decreased skin surface temperature (78%), congested scleral vessels (73%), abdominal guarding (61%), tachypnoea (58%), fever (58%) and tachycardia (55%). One or more concomitant disorders were diagnosed in 86% of the cows. The most common abnormal laboratory findings were hypokalaemia (75%), shortened glutaraldehyde test time (46%) and hyperfibrinogenaemia (43%). The diagnosis of type-3 abomasal ulcer was made in all cows during laparotomy and/or at postmortem examination. Forty-eight (80%) cows were euthanased immediately after the initial examination, during laparotomy or after unsuccessful treatment. Twelve (20%) cows were treated with a solution of sodium chloride and glucose administered via an indwelling jugular catheter, antibiotics, metamizole or flunixin, and discharged from the clinic. Ten cows were still in production two years later.

Diagnostic reliability of clinical signs in cows with traumatic reticuloperitonitis and abomasal ulcers

“…Forty-eight of 60 (80%) cows with U3 were euthanased immediately after the initial examination, during laparotomy or after unsuccessful treatment (solution of sodium chloride and glucose administered via an indwelling jugular catheter, antibiotics, metamizole or flunixin) [13]. Twelve (20%) cows, that were treated, were discharged from the clinic.…”

“…The clinical findings of the controls [16] and the cows with TRP [10], U1 [11], U2 [12], U3 [13], U4 [14]) and U5 [8] have been described in detail. The variables demeanour, rectal temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, colic, arched back, abdominal guarding, mucous membrane colour, congestion of scleral vessels, bruxism, rumen motility, pain response to foreign body tests, positive percussion and simultaneous auscultation also called percussion auscultation (produces a tympanic sound or metallic ping) and ballottement and simultaneous auscultation also referred to as swinging auscultation (produces splashing sounds followed by a bell-like echo) on the right side and faecal colour were analysed.…”

Type-5 abomasal ulcer and omental bursitis in 14 cows

“…Other causes of hypokalemia were discussed in detail [24]. Haemoconcentration was diagnosed in 57% of cows with U5, which was largely comparable to the rates in cows with U3 (35%) and U4 (69%) but considerably greater than in cows with TRP (12%) [10,12,23]. A high haematocrit reflects shock-associated haemoconcentration, but interestingly this was not accompanied by increased plasma protein concentration.…”

“…Of interest, only 46% of the cows had a only mild fever in spite of massive inflammation; in 39%, the rectal temperature was in the normal range and in 15% it was lower than normal. Similarly, only 43% of cows with traumatic reticuloperitonitis (TRP) [23], 49% of cows with U4 [10] and 58% of cows with U3 [12] had a mild fever, but 14% of cows with TRP [23], 20% of cows with U3 [12] and 30% of cows with U4 [10] had a high rectal temperature ranging from 39.6 to 41.3 °C. Possible reasons for normothermia or hypothermia seen in several cows with U5 include chronicity of the disease and, in cases with acute or subacute lesions, centralisation of the circulation as seen under shock conditions.…”

“…Abomasal perforation into the omental bursa causing omental bursitis was formerly classified as a sub-type of U3 [9] but is now known as type-5 ulcer (U5) [6]. The clinical and laboratory findings of cows with abomasal ulcer vary widely and were recently described in detail in 87 cows with U4 [10], in 145 cows with U2 [11] and in 60 cows with U3 [12]. Type-5 ulcer occurs when the perforation is in the left abomasal wall allowing the abomasal contents to leak into the omental bursa causing omental bursitis [13,14] as shown in Fig.…”