CLINICAL FINDINGS OF CATTLE WITH ABOMASAL ULCER

Abstract

The objective was to report the occurrence of abomasal ulcers in cattle treated at the Bovine Clinic of Garanhuns Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (CBG-UFRPE), and describe the major clinical findings observed. This disease is the most common cause of gastrointestinal bleeding in cattle, and proximal perforation may result in focal or diffuse peritonitis and sudden death. For this study we used epizootiological and clinical data, laboratory and pathological findings of the clinical records of eight cattle, and autopsy findings of the six deaths with abomasal ulcer. This disease accounts for 1% of digestive disorders in ruminants at the CBG-UFRPE. In four cattle there was a perforating ulcer with diffuse peritonitis (type IV), one animal developed focal peritonitis (type III), and three cattle developed bleeding ulcers (type II), of which two were discharged and died. The main clinical signs were: listlessness, decreased productivity and moderate degree of dehydration. The appetite was capricious or absent in 87.5% of cases, the rumen, abomasum and intestine presented hypomotility, and feces were in small amounts, sticky with mucus and blackish in color. Hematological evaluation noted a hyperfibrinogenemia ( = 888 mg / dL), a leukocytosis ( = 20.081/μL) with lymphocytosis ( = 8.867/μL), and a neutrophilia ( = 10.393/μL) with a left shift. Various parts of the abomasal mucosa, presented petechial hemorrhages and suffusion, and a large quantity of blackened liquid, blood clots, swelling, inflammation, multifocal ulcers of varying sizes deep in the mucosa covered with necrotic tissue, some recent and some chronic and healed. The adoption of proper sanitation practices associated with appropriate food supplementation is essential to prevent the occurrence of this disease.