Post surgical development of inflammatory adhesions and reticular function in cows suffering from traumatic reticuloperitonitis.

Inflammatory adhesions between reticulum and ventral abdomen in patients suffering traumatic reticuloperitonitis (TRP) may induce a massive inhibition of reticular contractions and thereby an impairment of the separation process of particles in the reticulorumen. However, a substantial disturbance of digesta passage (Hoflund-syndrome) is found only in a few TRP-cows. We hypothesized that this is due to a retrieval of reticular motility due to rebuilding and degradation of adhesions within months after the removal of the foreign body as the primary inflammatory stimulus. Accordingly, it was the objective of this study (a) to assess the extent and structure of inflammatory adhesions in cows with TRP over a period of six months following surgery and (b) to persecute reticular function by characterizing the sequence of reticular contractions sonographically and by assessment of particle size distribution in the faeces of patients by means of wet-sieving. Twenty-six cows suffering from TRP were studied on the day of rumenotomy (day 1) and on day 6, day 12 and 6 months post operationem. Additionally, six healthy control cows were investigated once. All cows were on a hay and concentrate diet. On day 1, the reticular floor and the reticular wall were affected by adhesions in varying extent in all cows; the contraction distance and contraction velocity of the reticulum were markedly reduced and the portion of large particles in the faces increased compared to healthy cows. On day 12, the portion of large particles did not vary any more from that of control cows; a tendency towards an increased contraction distance compared to day 1 was found. Sonographically, only marginal differences were detected in respect to extent and consistency of adhesions. Six months after rumenotomy, in 9 of 16 re-investigated cows sonography revealed no adhesions at the reticulum at all, in other cases the extent of adhesions shrunk considerably. Contraction distance and contraction velocity and particle size distribution in the faeces were found to be nearly comparable to that of control cows. It is concluded that inflammatory adhesions disappear in the majority of the TRP-patients, as a consequence reticular function normalizes. A serious disturbance of digesta passage seems to develop exclusively in those patients with the most extensive adhesions and may be also in such cows, where the primary adhesions cause the development of extensive abscesses.

Total serum bile acid concentrations in dairy cows with fatty liver and liver failure.

In forty-five Holstein Frisian dairy cows (1-6 weeks post partum; mean age: 5.1 +/- 1.2 years) the serum total bile acid concentrations (SBA) were measured enzymatically. In all cows a left sided abomasal displacement was corrected surgically by right side laparotomy and omentopexy three days before investigation. The liver fat content was determined in all cows histologically. Liver failure was assumed if typical clinical signs (ataxia, general depression, recumbency or coma), an increased venous plasma ammonia level (> 35 mumol/l) and a decreased plasma amino acid index (< 4.0) were found. Cows without liver failure (N = 29) were grouped according to the liver fat content as cows with mild (N = 5), moderate (N = 19) or severe hepatosteatosis (N = 5). Histological examination of liver biopsies in cows with liver failure (N = 16) revealed in twelve cases a severe fatty liver and in four cases a hydropic degeneration of the liver tissue. Although in cows without liver failure mean SBA concentrations were higher in the group with moderate (47.3 +/- 30.9 mumol/l) or severe fatty liver (32.9 +/- 21.7 mumol/l) than in that with mild lipidosis (18.0 (16.8 mumol/l), differences were not significant. The mean SBA concentration in cows with liver failure (70.5 +/- 49.5 mumol/l) was only significantly (p < 0.05) increased compared to cows with uncomplicated mild hepatic lipidosis. In conclusion, the determination of SBA concentrations is of little value in the recognition of fatty liver or even liver failure due to the considerable variance of SBA concentrations in dairy cows.