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Background. Calf mortality has been a major cause of economic losses in the dairy industry in Ethiopia. The condition results in a significant drop in the number of replacing heifers and bulls for sustainable dairy business. Reports on calf mortality with a wide range of prevalence are rising in the country; however, a pooled prevalence of this condition has not been established. Thus, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to quantitatively estimate the pooled prevalence of calf mortality in Ethiopia. Methods. Meta-analysis was carried out to obtain the pooled prevalence of calf mortality in Ethiopia. A comprehensive literature search was carried out on PubMed, African Journals Online, CAB, Web of Science Direct, and Google Scholar. Eligible studies were selected based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Moderators such as the study area, breed of calf, study design, agroecology, and year of study article published were used as a milestone of data extraction. The random-effect model was used to estimate pooled prevalence. Publication bias and the variation in prevalence estimates attributed to heterogeneity were also assessed. Results. Twenty-five original research papers on the prevalence of calf mortality in various parts of Ethiopia were included. The reported prevalence of calf mortality was between 0.9% and 37%. The pooled prevalence of calf mortality in the country was 14.79%, and the pooled calf mortality estimate across studies for the entire period regarding 1991 to 2000, 2001 to 2010, 2011 to 2016, and 2017 to 2020 was 26.54%, 17.03%, 14.21%, and 11.23%, respectively. Analysis of study subgroups and location revealed significant variations in prevalence. High heterogeneity was observed in the pooled estimates and even after the subgroup meta-analysis. The funnel plots and Egger's regression asymmetry coefficient (b = −1.0434) (95% CI = −1.49, −0.59; p value of 0.012) did suggest the presence of publication bias. There was also an indication of missing studies that could be incorporated by Duval and Tweedie's trim and fill method where they might fall on a funnel plot and visualize them in an attempt to increase the plot's symmetry. Analyses also suggest that calf breed, sample size, and study location are likely to be moderators of calf mortality prevalence in Ethiopia. Conclusion. This finding shows that calf mortality is widespread and could result in considerable economic losses for the dairy industry in Ethiopia. Inevitably, a significant reduction in calf mortality prevalence has been observed in recent years since 2010, but the reduction has not yet reached an economically tolerable level. Calf breed susceptibility contributed to the high prevalence. Therefore, interventions for increasing calf health and performance should be focused on minimizing calf mortality on farm and animal levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Esophageal groove dysfunction is one of the major causes of ruminal bloat. This condition is fatal in new born calves if it is not treated early. In healthy, suckling calves, milk should bypass the forestomach (rumen and reticulum) and enter into the abomasum where enzymatic digestion of milk proteins takes place. However, failure of the esophageal groove allows milk to enter into the forestomach, which results in the production of excess gases by microbial fermentation. Consequently, this increase in abdominal distention particularly on the left side in ruminants is an imminent manifestation of excess gases in the foresomach. Case presentation: A 10-day-old crossbred male calf presented with a distended left abdomen and manifesting dyspnea at a dairy farm. The calf was weak, reluctant to move, and had visibly congested mucus membranes. Regarding the calf’s feeding, milk was the only thing ingested and the calf had not started on dry feeds (hay, concentrates, and roughages). According to the herdsman of the farm, the calf had a mild-to-moderate form of bloat and 3–5 h after milk feeding the bloat would disappear spontaneously. During bloat, an increase in pulse rate, respiratory rate (tachypnea), and shallow breathing was noted. Physical examination revealed severe distention of the left side of the abdomen, and on percussion, accumulation of gases mixed with fluid in the left abdomen was detected. An attempt was made to release gases from forestomach by introducing a stomach tube with oral antibiotics; however, the case was not resolved. The calf suffered from frequent recurrence of bloat after every milk feed, and in response to the refractory outcome to conventional treatment, a rumenostomy was indicated and a better treatment response was achieved. In addition, IV fluid and other supportive therapy were provided while milk was withheld. However, considering the fact that milk is a natural feed that should not be taken away from every calf at this age, we had to encourage calf to consume milk as it would not result in bloat as far as rumen fistula is being created. Furthermore, encouraging calves to consume starter feed (fresh grasses and hay) earlier than usual recommended period whilst decreasing milk intake would hasten the rumen function. Conclusions: Cases like this are successfully managed by a rumenostomy when conventional options fail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]