Change of biochemical parameters in cows with abomasal displacement after omentopexy

Abstract

The aim of the research is to evaluate the postsurgical health condition of cows with left abomasal displacement (LDA) based on the blood serum biochemical indices. The research has been performed at a Lithuanian cattle farm having 600 dairy cows in 2007–2014. The research included in total 30 cows diagnosed with LDA during the clinical trial. For the purpose of control, 25 clinically healthy cows were selected based on the analogy principle. All the cows with LDA have undergone surgical treatment according to omentopexia. For the ketosis prevention, cows were given 0.300 kg of monopropylenglycol for 14 days after surgical correction. For the purpose of biochemical testing, blood samples were collected from v. coccigea right before the surgery (Day 0), and subsequently seven days (Day 7), fourteen days (Day 14), and twenty-one days (Day  21) after the surgery. Blood serum was tested for the following parameters: calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), aspartataminotranspherase (AST), albumines (Alb), beta-hydroxybutyrates (BHB), glucose concentration. Cows with LDA were observed to develop ketosis and hepatic lesions after surgical correction. Cows with LDA demonstrated reliably (p < 0.001) higher BHB concentration than clinically healthy cows (average BHB of cows with LDA amounted to 1.16 mmol/l, whereas that of healthy cows was 0.8 mmol/l). The average AST concentration in cows with LDA amounted to 158 (IU/l), whereas that in control cows was 86.9 IU/l (p < 0.001). The average blood glucose level in cows with LDA amounted to 2.27  mmol/l, whereas that in control cows was 2.62 mmol/l (p < 0.05). Hypocalcemia is characteristic of cows with LDA. The average calcium concentration in the blood serum of cows with LDA amounted to 2.09 mmol/l, whereas that of healthy cows was 2.73 mmol/l (p < 0.05). Calcium concentration remained low for the entire period of the trial (until Day 21 after the surgical correction). Risks of ketosis and hepatic lesions decreased after 21  days following the treatment (when BHB AST levels decreased and blood glucose level increased).