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NADIS disease bulletins are written specifically for farmers, to
increase awareness of prevalent conditions and promote disease
prevention and control, in order to benefit animal health and welfare.
Farmers are advised to discuss their individual farm circumstances
with their veterinary surgeon.
Displaced Abomasum (DA)
Richard Laven PhD BVetMed MRCVS
The NADIS data show that throughout last year the incidence of
Displaced Abomasums much higher than average.
In January 2006 the level was near average, but by March the trend
shown during the last 3 years returned with level well over double
the average number of cases:-
Better management of the late dry cow and of the changeover from dry
to lactating cow is clearly needed
What is a Displaced Abomasum
The abomasum (or true stomach) normally lies on the floor of the
abdomen, but can become filled with gas and rise to the top of the
abdomen, when it is said to be ‘displaced’. The abomasum is more
likely to be displaced to the left (LDA) than the right (RDA). Two
main risk factors have been implicated:
1) Calving: The majority of cases occur soon after calving.
During pregnancy the uterus displaces the abomasum, so that after
calving the abomasum has to move back to its normal position,
increasing the risk of displacement
2) Atony of the abomasum: If the abomasum stops contracting
and turning over its contents, accumulation of gas will occur and the
abomasum will tend to move up the abdomen
Clinical Signs
¨ Inappetance, milk yield drop, reduced rumination are the most
common signs
¨ Can be scanty diarrhoea, mild colic and distended abdomen
¨ Normally, very like acetonaemia, with ketones in blood, milk,
breath and urine. It often responds to treatment but relapses.
Diagnosis
· On the clinical signs above, but cannot be
distinguished from ketosis on these alone.
· On examination with a stethoscope the presence of
a pinging noise, that sounds like a tap dripping into a steel bucket,
is indicative of a gas-filled organ, which is almost certain to be a
displaced abomasum.
· A blood sample can be useful in identifying the
severity of the ketosis and other metabolic changes
Treatment
· Veterinary advice and assessment is essential.
· Treatment can be conservative or surgical
· Conservative treatment: This involves casting and
rolling the cow and manipulating the abomasum so that it returns to
its normal position. This can be effective, if done early but about
50% relapse.
Rolling can be used in conjunction with toggling, where a toggle is
passed through the skin into the abdomen and twisted fixing the
abomasum in the correct position. This significantly reduces the
relapse rate.
· Surgery: Many surgical techniques have been used some
involving opening both flanks.
Prevention
Of the two major risk factors, only atony of the abomasum is
preventable. Thus prevention should be aimed at ensuring dry matter
intake is maintained in early lactation:
1) Ensure cattle are not too fat at calving (i.e. 3.5 BCS)
2) Feed high quality feeds, with good quality forage
3) Feeding a total mixed ration as opposed to concentrates
4) Ensure plenty of space at feeding sites
5) Minimise changes between late dry and early lactation ration
6) Prevent and promptly treat, diseases such as milk fever,
metritis, toxic mastitis and retained afterbirth which reduce feed
intake
7) Maximise cow comfort, minimise stress
8) Data from the US clearly show that transition cow management
can significantly reduce diseases and increase milk production. It is
simple to achieve, currently requiring just two groups of dry cows
each fed a separate diet, designed for their needs and requirements.
It is likely that a farm with DA problem (3% of calving cows) is
feeding the late dry and/or early lactation cows wrongly. If you get
the nutrition right to prevent DA’s, you will also increase your milk
production as cows with DA’s are just the tip of an iceberg.
"As I was walkin' - I saw a sign there
And that sign said - no tress passin'
But on the other side .... it didn't say nothin!
Now that side was made for you and me!"
Woody Guthrie
A prophet is only despised in his own country....
..........among his own relations...
............and in his own house