Abomasitis, abomasal ulcer

Question 1

Primary form

Answer 1

• Occurrence o rare
• Cause
    o Stress
    o Grass
    o Fertilisers, herbicides o Fungi
    o Hair balls
    o Calves: rough fodder

Question 2

Secondary form (consequence of other diseases)

Answer 2

• Occurrence
o More common
• Causes
o Other abomasal disease (displacement)
o Leukosis
o GI helminths
o Other infectious diseases: BVD, salmonellosis

Question 3

Clinical signs

Answer 3

• Mild form
o No symptoms or mild general symptoms
o Inappetence
• Sever form
o Bleeding: anaemia, dehydration, peripheral circulatory failure
o Faeces: melena (blackish/dark in colour)
o Rumen: stasis, positive reticular pain probes (but reticulum is not involved)
o Abomasum
▪ Pain during pressure (palpation) (pressure on the right side of the abdominal wall)
▪ Gas and fluid accumulation
▪ Perforation: local or diffuse peritonitis, rapid death

Question 4

Diagnosis

Answer 4

• Local findings: faeces!
• General findings: anaemia
• Abdominocentesis

Question 5

Treatment

Answer 5

• Diet, adstringents, mucoprotective drugs
• Blood transfusion
• H2 receptor blocking drugs (e.g. cimetidine)
• Alkalisers (MgO, Mg silicate)
• Surgery
• Prognosis: (very) poor (primary problem cannot be treated properly)→euthanasia
• Local treatment isn’t very good because you would have to stimulate the reticular groove
reflex→not reliable in adults animal→may not go into abomasum