Medicine Lecture 5th Stage 26-12-2017 Dr.Osamah Muwafk
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Clinical Findings :
1. occurs usually within the first few days following parturition
2. commonly precipitated by any condition that interferes with the
animal’s appetite temporarily
3. Affected cows are usually excessively fat, with a BCS of 4/5 or higher
4. Excessive quantities of subcutaneous fat are palpable over the flanks,
the shoulder areas, and around the tail head
5. The temperature, heart rate, and respiration are within normal ranges
6. Rumen contractions are weak or absent, and the feces are usually
scant
7. Periods of prolonged recumbency
8. severe ketosis that does not respond to the usual treatment may occur
9. There is marked ketonuria
10. Affected cows will not eat and gradually become weaker and progress
to totally recumbent, and they die in 7 to 10 days
11. Some cattle exhibit nervous signs
12. Some severe cases appear to develop hepatic failure
13. Terminally there is coma, tachycardia, and marked hyperglycemia
14. The case-fatality rate in severe cases may reach 50% or more
15. In fat beef cattle
a) Occur shortly before calving
b) affected cows are aggressive, restless, excited, and
uncoordinated with a stumbling gait
c) sometimes have difficulty in rising; and they fall easily.
d) The feces are scant and firm, and there is tachycardia
e) When the disease occurs 2 months before calving, the cows
are depressed for 10 to 14 days and do not eat.
f) Eventually they become sternally recumbent
g) The respirations are rapid, there may be an expiratory grunt,
and the nasal discharge is clear, but there may be flaking of
the epithelium of the muzzle
h) The feces are usually scant; terminally, there is often a fetid
yellow diarrhea
Medicine Lecture 5th Stage 26-12-2017 Dr.Osamah Muwafk
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i) The disease is highly fatal; the course is 10 to 14 days, and
terminally there may be coma, with cows dying quietly
16. In dairy cattle
a) In moderately severe fatty liver, the clinical findings are much
less severe
b) most will recover within several days if they continue to eat
even small amounts of hay
c) delay in the onset of normal estrus cycles and a reduction in
the conception rate
Clinical Pathology:
1) Increased plasma/serum nonesterified fatty acid, acetoacetate, BHB,
and total bilirubin concentrations
2) decreased serum fructosamine concentration
3) increased plasma/serum hepatic enzyme activity (particularly
aspartate aminotransferase and ornithine carbamoyl transferase
activity)
4) high plasma NEFA : cholesterol concentration
5) An increased concentration of plasma total bilirubin
6) The plasma ammonia concentration is an excellent indicator of
hepatic failure
7) In cattle with subclinical fatty liver, there may be a leukopenia,
neutropenia, and lymphopenia
8) Liver Biopsy and Analysis
Ultrasonography of the Liver
1) identification of hepatic enlargement by comparing liver position with
published reference range relative to the ribs
2) the echogenicity or brightness of the liver
3) In the fatty liver, there is a diffuse nature and echogenicity that are
roughly proportional to the volume of fat vacuoles and the amount of
triglyceride in the liver
Medicine Lecture 5th Stage 26-12-2017 Dr.Osamah Muwafk
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Necropsy Findings
1. In severe fatal cases, the liver is grossly enlarged, pale yellow, friable,
and greasy
Differential Diagnosis :
1) In dairy cows fatty liver must be differentiated from those diseases
that occur commonly immediately following parturition
2) Left-sided displacement of the abomasum results in a secondary
ketosis, inappetence, and pings over the left abdomen.
3) Retained placenta and metritis may be accompanied by fever,
inappetence to anorexia, ruminal atony, and a foul-smelling vaginal
discharge. A degree of fatty liver may occur in these cows, making it
indistinguishable from the effects of the retained placenta and metritis.
4) Primary ketosis may occur immediately after parturition or within
several days rather than at the most common time, at 6 to 8 weeks of
lactation. Inappetence, ruminal hypotonicity, marked ketonuria, and a
good response to glucose and propylene glycol are characteristic.
5) In beef cattle, pregnancy toxemia before parturition must be
differentiated from abomasal impaction, vagus indigestion, and
chronic peritonitis
Treatment :
1. The prognosis for severe fatty liver is unfavorable
2. In general, cows with the severe fat-cow syndrome that are totally
anorexic for 3 days or more usually die in spite of intensive therapy
3. The prognosis for cases with nervous signs is very poor
4. A highly palatable good-quality hay and an ample supply of water
should be provided
5. The major prognostic factor is whether the cow will eat
6. Three treatment strategies for fatty liver are available:
a) The most effective strategy is to decrease the rate of fat
mobilization and therefore the plasma NEFA concentration;
propylene glycol appears to act partly by this mechanism
Medicine Lecture 5th Stage 26-12-2017 Dr.Osamah Muwafk
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b) The second strategy is to facilitate the complete oxidation of
NEFAs in the liver
c) The third strategy is to increase the rate of export of VLDLs
from the liver; choline is thought to act by this method
7. intravenous fluids, ruminal transfaunation, and glucagon
8. continuous IV infusion of 5% glucose and multiple electrolyte
solutions and the intraruminal administration of rumen juice (5 to 10
L) from normal cows
Treatment:
1. Propylene glycol (300 mL daily for 5 days, PO)
2. Dextrose (500 mL of 50% dextrose once, IV)
3. Dexamethasone,
dexamethasone-21-
isonicotinate,
or
flumethasone, IM
4. Cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12, 1 to 4 mg IV, daily for 2 to 3
treatments)
5. Isoflupredone (20 mg, IM, multiple injections)
Control
1. Monensin (controlled-release capsule, 335 mg/day)
2. Propylene glycol (300 to 500 mL daily for 5 days, PO)
3. Cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12, 1 to 4 mg IV, daily for 2 to 6
treatments before or at calving)
GOOD LUCK