Cardiologic and hemopoietic diseases in ruminants

Question 1

Cardiac diseases in cattle

Congenital diseases (importance: +)

Answer 1

• Ventricular and atrial septal defect (most common, 50% of calf deaths)
o Ventricular septal defect can be clinically balanced/can be managed
• Tetralogy of Fallot
• Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA)
→usually die within first days to weeks of their life

Question 2

Cardiac diseases in cattle

Acquired diseases

Answer 2

• Endocarditis (bacterial, TV) (importance: ++)
• Myocardial diseases (importance: +)
o Idiopathic CMP (hereditary)
o Secondary myocardial diseases
• Cardiac arrhythmias (importance: +)
o Normal rhythm: 60-80 BPM
o 80-100 BPM→mild tachyarrhythmias
o 100-120 BPM→severe tachyarrhythmia
• Traumatic pericarditis (importance: +++)

Question 3

Cardiac diseases in cattle

Screening of cardiac diseases in cattle breeding

Answer 3

• Diseases can cause economic losses

* Bovine congestive heart failure: ARRDC3 and NFIA→affected genes

Question 4

Cardiac diseases in cattle

Answer 4

Ventricular septal defect (VSD)
Tetralogy of Fallot
Atrial septal defect (ASD)
Dilated cardiomyopathy
Bacterial endocarditis
Traumatic pericarditis of cattle

Question 5

Cardiac diseases in cattle

Ventricular septal defect (VSD)

Answer 5

• Hole between the two ventricles of the heart
• Visible on the US
• If it becomes decompensated it will lead to cardiac failure with cardiac signs
• Most common cardiac sign is the right-sided heart failure

Question 6

Cardiac diseases in cattle

Tetralogy of Fallot

Answer 6

• Usually a necropsy finding
• Aorta, truncus pulmonalis and two chambers are affected
• Aortic stenosis and truncus pulmonalis stenosis

Question 7

Cardiac diseases in cattle

Atrial septal defect (ASD)

Answer 7

Ventriculo sinistro, destro

Atrio sinistro, destroy

Question 8

Cardiac diseases in cattle

Dilated cardiomyopathy

Answer 8

• Right sided heart failure
o Brisk oedema (difficult to identify because skin around brisket is quite loose → mild cases are usually not visible)
o Positive jugular pulse

Question 9

Cardiac diseases in cattle

Bacterial endocarditis

Answer 9

• Bacterial infections all over the body can more commonly affect the endocardium in cattle than dogs
• Bacteria can grow on valves (tricuspid, bicuspid)→bacterial thrombus (visible on US)
• Signs
o Heart failure
o Fever (if you have fever of unknown
origins and Abs aren’t working, keep
bacterial endocarditis in mind)
• Rare in cattle medicine
• Found when individual cows are treated

Question 10

Cardiac diseases in cattle

Traumatic pericarditis of cattle

Answer 10

• Loss common in small ruminants but still occur

Question 11

Cardiac diseases in cattle

Traumatic pericarditis of cattle

Aetiology

Answer 11

• 8-10 cm long, sharp, penetrating metallic foreign body (after RPT) from reticulum through reticulum wall and diaphragm into the epicardium or directly into the heart or lung

Question 12

Cardiac diseases in cattle

Traumatic pericarditis of cattle

Clinical signs

Answer 12

• General conditions
o Fever, dullness, anorexia, abnormal (still) movement, abnormal body posture
• Respiratory organs
o Tachypnoea, dyspnoea, abnormal respiratory sounds ± coughing, ± horizontal
dullness
• Circulatory organs
o Cyanosis, brisket oedema, ++v. jugularis, tachycardia, faint cardiac sounds,
splashing, ++ cardiac dullness, (± tympanic sound, ± pericardial rubbing
sounds)
• Other clinical signs
o Chronic ruminal atony, ± reticular pain probes, autointoxication, nephritis/nephrosis,
hepatosis
o Elbows are far away from chest (not pathognomic→only an indicator for chest
problems)

Question 13

Cardiac diseases in cattle

Traumatic pericarditis of cattle

Pericardiocentesis

Answer 13

• Large amount of suppurative pericardial fluid can be obtained
• Done more often before US was more accessible (+US guided sampling)
• Not done as much anymore
• Dirnhoffer triangle
• Needle: 4 inches long, 16 or 18G

Question 14

Cardiac diseases in cattle

Traumatic pericarditis of cattle

Diagnosis

Answer 14

• Additional examination
o Ferroscopy→not used anymore
o (ECG, radiography, 2DE)
o US→ventrally, next to sternum, scan upwards
▪ Triangle between reticulum and rumen→if fluid filled with spotty fluid then there probably is infection
• Laboratory examination
o Blood:
▪ Neutrophilia, ++ glutar-aldehyde probe, elevated activity of liver enzymes
o Urine:
▪ Signs of renal disorders, ketonuria

Question 15

Cardiac diseases in cattle

Traumatic pericarditis of cattle

Prevention

Answer 15

• Elimination of foreign bodies, reticular magnets