DIAGNOSIS OF BOVINE CARDIOMYOPATHY BY ELECTROLYTE AND PROTEIN-ANALYSIS

The intention of this paper was to describe a reliable method for the diagnosis of cardiomyopathy (CMP) in adult cattle and, in particular, a clear distinction between CMP and inflammatory heart diseases (IHD). In a first study we performed a linear discriminant analysis using se rum and urine electrolyte concentrations (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, phosphate, iron, creatinine) of 33 CMP-affected a nd 35 healthy cattle. This analysis allowed to classify all the animal s of both animal groups correctly. In a second study, we examined the clotting reaction of the glutaraldehyde coagulation test (GCT) in card iomyopathy (n = 49), inflammatory heart diseases (n = 9) and in health y cows (n = 35). 96 % of the CMP-sick and all the control animals show ed a clotting time above 10 minutes. In the IHD group, the clotting ti me was always below 10 minutes. In a third study, we applied the combi nation of discriminant analysis and GCT to a new set of CMP- (n = 14) and IHD-affected (n = 9) as well as to healthy cattle (n = 15). The cl assification was correct in 93 % of the CMP-sick and in all the IHD-af fected and the control animals. The results are discussed.