J. Rehage et al., POST SURGICAL CONVALESCENCE OF DAIRY-COWS WITH LEFT ABOMASAL DISPLACEMENT IN RELATION TO FATTY LIVER, Schweizer Archiv fur Tierheilkunde, 138(7), 1996, pp. 361-368
Blood parameters, feed intake and milk yield were determined in 53 cow
s with a left displacement of the abomasum (LDA) on the day of surgery
(ds; laparotomy and omentopexy) and during the following four days (d
1-d4). Using histological methods severe (group SF), moderate (group M
F) or no/mild (group NF) fatty liver was found in 32%, 40% and 28% of
the patients, respectively. Moderate and severe fatty liver were found
almost exclusively in cows in the first three weeks post partum. Post
surgery, feed intake and daily milk yield increased steadily in cows
of the NF- and MF-group; in cows suffering from severe fatty liver fee
d intake remained low (p < 0.05). ON ds, mean serum levels of nonester
ified fatty acids (NEFA), beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), total bilirubin,
aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT
) and glutamic dehydrogenase (GLDH) in SF-cows were significantly (p <
0.05) higher and values of cholesterol significantly lower (p < 0.05)
as compared to the NF- and MF-group; no significant differences were
found between the groups in mean serum glucose concentrations. In the
four day period following surgery, in all groups mean serum levels of
ASAT, GGT, GLDH and cholesterol remained nearly unchanged, whereas tot
al bilirubin, NEFA, BHB and glucose decreased significantly (P < 0.05)
. Apart from LDA, 55% of the patients were suffering from mastitis, en
dometritis or lameness. Within three weeks post surgery, 3 cows of the
SF-group and 1 cow of the MF-group developed recumbency and liver com
a, and were culled for that reason. In conclusion, post surgical conva
lescence of cows with LDA is clearly related to disturbances of energy
metabolism and fatty liver. Therefore, successful treatment of cows s
uffering from LDA requires the effective treatment of excessive lipomo
bilization, ketosis and fatty liver along with the immediate surgical
correction of LDA.