1. Investigation of congestive heart failure in beef cattle in a feedyard at a moderate altitude in western Nebraska.
- Author
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Moxley RA, Smith DR, Grotelueschen DM, Edwards T, and Steffen DJ
- Subjects
- Animals, Cattle, Cattle Diseases epidemiology, Cattle Diseases etiology, Female, Heart Failure diagnosis, Heart Failure epidemiology, Heart Failure etiology, Housing, Animal, Male, Nebraska, Obesity complications, Obesity epidemiology, Altitude, Cattle Diseases diagnosis, Heart Failure veterinary, Obesity veterinary
- Abstract
Right-sided congestive heart failure (brisket disease) commonly occurs in cattle raised at elevations >2,500-3,500 m. We investigated clinical cases resembling brisket disease at a western Nebraska feedyard at a moderate altitude (1,369 m). Over a 15-mo period (2009-2010), we examined 17 cases (16 steers and 1 heifer), all purebred Angus. All animals had clinical right-sided heart failure: brisket and ventral abdominal edema, and severe chronic passive congestion of the liver. Gross examination confirmed right ventricular hypertrophy (left ventricle plus septum: right ventricle weight ratio mean: 1.33 vs. 2.8-4.0 reference interval). Microscopically, all 17 cases had interstitial fibrosis (mean score: 2.4 ± 0.8) and 6 had replacement fibrosis of the right ventricle, whereas 14 had interstitial fibrosis (mean score: 1.2 ± 0.2) and 0 had replacement fibrosis of the left ventricle. Lesions of arteriosclerosis were seen in 9 of 16 cases in 51 of 571 (8.9%) right ventricular coronary arteries, and in 10 of 16 cases in 52 of 366 (14.2%) left ventricular coronary arteries. The probability of coronary arteriosclerosis was greater in papillary ventricular muscle (OR = 11.3; p < 0.0001), left ventricle (OR = 4.8; p < 0.0001), and larger arteries (OR = 1.01; p < 0.0001). Pulmonary arteries and arterioles had lesions compatible with hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension. We hypothesize that moderate hypobaric conditions significantly contributed to disease in cattle genetically predisposed to hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension. Adiposity, coronary arteriosclerosis, and left ventricular fibrosis may have contributed to the condition; however, the cattle died prior to development of advanced obesity.
- Published
- 2019
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