Abomasal ulcers in milking cows — the mysterious disease
Encouraging cows to eat forage is essential to help buffer the acid in the stomach and I recommend avoiding concentrates due to possible spikes in abomasal pH.
Last week was busy with Dad away on his holidays in Dingle but I can confirm the farm is still standing.
The cow's cough is improving, it will take a week to 10 days for it to settle. If you experience a similar “re-infection syndrome” in your herd and it doesn’t resolve post-dosing, more diagnostics may be necessary.
We are hearing a little bit of coughing in the weanlings and got a text from the RVL to say they are still seeing lots of lungworm on post-mortem so be vigilant. I am trying to plan their dose four weeks before housing to prevent overdosing but if they are coughing it will need to be treated.
Cow 1028 is up to her usual tricks in the parlour these days with jumping on the troughs unless she positions herself on the left side of the parlour and second from the front. She’s the same cow that got grass tetany last year that I wrote about back in April, she’s always been a cow with a “nervous” disposition but her quirks make me like her more and she’s a firm favourite in the herd.
She reminded me of the type of cow I treated during my weekend locuming in Waterford that presented with an abomasal ulcer. The farmer remarked when she was hard to move in the pen that “this is very unlike her as she’s usually a very nervous cow, she must be very sick".
This particular cow was an older lady in the herd, a high producer and was in good body condition, a picture of health apart from her ulcer-related clinical signs.
Firstly she was very difficult to move and was found lying down in the waiting yard. On examination she was very cold at 35.6 degrees, her heart rate increased and there was black dung on the rectal examination. This black dung is called melana, which indicates that there is a bleed in the upper GI tract and the blood after being digested, hence the black colour.
The high heart rate, lethargy and low temperature all can indicate blood loss with the melena confirming the bleed's origin. This cow surprisingly was not overly pale on checking her eye, I have found this to be an interesting finding with ulcer cases, some are as white as ghosts and others are still very pink.
The cause of abomasal ulcers in cows is still very much unknown, low abomasal pH is caused by high concentrate feeding, inappetence causing the acid in the stomach to be less buffered and then there is a stress theory such as mixing groups or transport.
The theory is, that cortisol (the stress hormone) can interfere with the abomasum wall's acid protection mechanisms and increase the risk of ulcer formation. The bleeding occurs as a nearby artery to the ulcer is damaged and the extent of the bleeding depends very much on the proximity of these vessels. If the artery is a huge one, unfortunately, a cow can die very quickly before any treatment is administered.
Treatment depends on the severity, I always give supportive fluids to try to maintain blood pressure, vitamin B to produce new blood cells and antibiotics. Antacids can be used orally however there is rumen that acts as a huge sponge that prevents their arrival to the abomasum. Encouraging the animal to eat forage is essential to help buffer the acid in the stomach and I recommend avoiding concentrates due to possible spikes in abomasal pH.
One of the things I recommend is to try to keep the environment free of stress, I always would say not to keep the cow on her own and make sure to let her back with the herd if she’s getting distressed. A blood transfusion can be a life-saving option in severe cases, a suitable donor cow is required to retrieve the blood and transfer it to the sick cow.
When the exact cause of a disease is questionable, it’s not the easiest to prevent on the farm which is frustrating at times in veterinary. Try to keep the diet consistent to avoid acidotic spikes, and keep cows eating by treating sick or lame cows promptly.
Cows with ulcers can sometimes display a milk drop a day or two before more severe signs are spotted, so knowing your herd is essential to early diagnosis.
The upcoming transition to housing and change in diet could be a trigger for an ulcer. It's a tough time of year in farming, it’s a huge adjustment for both animals and farmers.
Every year housing time creeps up on me, all of a sudden the evenings are short, the lime-covered overalls are back and the smell of silage fills the air. Saying this it will all feel like routine again very soon, it’s all part of the crazy cycle that is the farming year.
This week is exciting for all the vets in Ireland with the “VET23” Veterinary Ireland conference being held in Cork. It is the first year of a joint conference across all the interest groups, where we cattle vets can meet our equine and small animal colleagues. for all the vets in Ireland, not just cattle vets.
I am looking forward to seeing friends, old and new, learning about the latest research and not forgetting the unbelievable social activities, including Keith Barry on Friday night.
