Synonyms

No known synonym

Name of the disease in English

Calf right-sided displacement of the abomasum

The disease in brief

The disease is not common; it occurs mainly at an age of 6 weeks to 4 months, during periods of dietary changes. weaning. Diets containing high levels of starch, high energy, and abomasum ulcers are contributing factors. This dilation can be complicated by a volvulus which will greatly aggravate the situation.

Clinic & diagnosis

The suspicion is based on pre-ruminant calves that are eating poorly, which are presented to the veterinarian because they are swollen on the right, as this is the dominant sign in the calf. The suspicion is based on an association of 2 symptoms from one of these groups:

-The right flank has swollen at the top or in its entirety (apple on the right) or perception of liquid content when shaking the right flank - noise of flow
– a ping to the right straddling the hypochondrium on an area less than 10cm in diameter
– bruxism or colic.

– Finely ground dung (or almost mustard-like consistency), or small diarrhea, or scant, dry dung (approaching the shape of horse droppings), or nothing in the rectum, or only white mucus (sometimes tinged with blood)
The suspicion will be reinforced by the demonstration of ketonuria and tachycardia.

Typical sign of the disease

No description

Pictures

See below

Diagnostic formulas

No description

Differential diagnosis

-Right dilation with torsion of the calf abomasum DG25.6

-Intestinal obstruction-ileus DG33.1
-Dilatation of the cecum with or without flexion N80
-Acute peritonitis OBST1.2

-Perforating abomasal ulcer sealed with localized peritonitis N28

Confirm a suspicion?

– Transcutaneous ultrasound of the abomasum : the liver no longer appears applied against the peritoneum. The preoperative differentiation between a simple dilatation on the right and an abomasum volvulus (ABV) is not not always easy although animals with VC are generally clinically more severely affected than with simple DCD.

Prognosis and treatment

Limited dilations without too strong general repercussions can be treated medically:

-Calcium borogluconate 25%-1ml/kg-IV,

- Hay diet for 3-5 days

-Correction of dehydration

Prevention

Prevention is based around a pre-weaning ration promoting the consumption of average quality hay, thus preparing the rumen to develop both in size and flora.

References

ABOMASAL DISEASES IN CALVES-2010- S. Steiner, W. Baumgartner-Clinic for Ruminants University of Veterinary Medicine-Wien