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Aim: To evaluate the macromineral status of field cases of dairy cows surgically treated for left abomasal displacement (LDA), with concurrent fatty liver of different severity, and compare this for animals that died or recovered., Methods: Sixty-eight Holstein dairy cows with LDA and 110 control cows, from 28 farms, were used in the study. Blood samples and liver biopsies were obtained during standing surgery for correction of LDA, and from control cows. The concentration of macrominerals in serum, and of total lipids (tLPD) and triglycerides (TG) in liver were determined. Liver was examined histologically, and classified for its severity of fatty liver. Cows with LDA were grouped according to severity of fatty liver. Cows in Groups 1 to 3 recovered, whereas those in Group 4 died within 4 weeks of surgery. Group 1 = mild (n=4) or moderate (n=6 cows, n=4 heifers) fatty liver, Group 2 = moderate to severe fatty liver (n=13), Group 3 = severe fatty liver (n=15 cows, n=5 heifers), Group 4 = severe fatty liver (n=17 cows, n=4 heifers)., Results: The concentration of macrominerals in serum was affected by the concurrence of fatty liver and LDA; Ca, K and Mg were significantly (p<0.05) lower in animals that died than those that survived. For cows with severe fatty liver, concentrations of tLD and TG were higher in the animals that died compared with those that recovered (p<0.01). Cows with LDA and severe fatty liver that died were earlier in lactation (median days in milk (DIM) 13 days) compared with the other cows with LDA (median DIM 21-26 days) (p<0.05); they were also significantly older (median 6 years old) than cows in the other groups (median 4 or 5 years old) (p<0.05)., Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Concentrations of macrominerals in serum were influenced by the concurrence of LDA and fatty liver. Animals with low concentrations of Ca, K and Mg had a guarded prognosis. The concentration of K should always be evaluated in cows with LDA and concurrent fatty liver when providing a prognosis. Most cows with severe fatty liver were detected in the first 4 weeks of lactation, but older animals and those that had more recently calved had a worse prognosis.

This study evaluated the relationship between severity of fatty liver and macromineral status in downer dairy cows and determined the usefulness of selected biochemical analytes for assessing prognosis. Blood and liver biopsy specimens were obtained from 36 Holstein downer cows shortly after the cows became recumbent and before they were treated. Liver tissue was examined histologically and serum activity of liver-derived enzymes and concentration of total lipids, triglycerides, bile acids, glucose, beta-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetic acid, total bilirubin, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), cholesterol and macrominerals (Ca, Mg, K, Na, P) were determined. Fatty liver infiltration was severe in 44% of the cows and moderate in 44%. Serum activities of ornithine carbamoyltransferase and glutamate dehydrogenase, and NEFA/cholesterol ratio were good indicators of fatty liver. Cows with severe fatty liver had the lowest mean K values. The prognosis is guarded for downer cows with moderate and severe fatty liver and when total bilirubin concentration is high.

Background: Fatty change of the liver (FCL) is very common in dairy cattle periparturiently. Many laboratory methods have been implicated in order to assist the diagnosis., Hypothesis: To investigate whether FCL in dairy cattle could be evaluated by assessment of ornithine carbamoyl transferase (OCT) by means of an assay modified for bovine serum, other enzyme activity, serum bile acids (SBA) concentration, or other biochemical constituents., Animals: A total of 187 dairy cattle were included: 106 were suspected to have liver dysfunction and were examined after referral by veterinarians; 70 were clinically healthy with mild FCL; and 11 were clinically healthy without FCL., Methods: Blood and liver biopsy samples were obtained after clinical examination. Histologic examination by light microscopy and classification of samples according to the severity of FCL was done, and total lipid and triglyceride concentration was measured. In serum, OCT, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH), glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (gamma-GT) activity as well as SBA, glucose, ketones, total bilirubin (tBIL), and nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) concentration were measured., Results: OCT and AST activity and tBIL concentration correlate well with the degree of FCL. SBA concentration does not contribute well to FCL diagnosis. The majority of FCL cases appeared within the first 21 days-in-milk (DIM). The majority of moderate-to-severe and severe FCL cases arose in the first 7 DIM., Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Except for OCT, AST, and tBIL, none of the biochemical tests used, including SBA, had sufficient discriminatory power to differentiate reliably between mild and severe FCL because of poor sensitivity. A weak correlation between clinical signs and the extent of FCL was evident.

Objective: To evaluate postsurgical outcome in dairy cows with left-displaced abomasum (LDA) with regard to severity of fatty liver and assess the usefulness of preoperative determination of serum ornithine carbamoyl transferase (OCT) activity, bile acids concentration, and other variables for evaluating liver function during the postsurgical convalescence period., Design: Prospective study., Animals: 68 Holstein cows., Procedures: Blood and liver biopsy specimens were obtained during standing LDA surgery. Liver tissue was examined histologically and classified by severity of fatty change. Serum activities of liver-derived enzymes and concentrations of total lipids, triglycerides, bile acids, glucose, beta-hydroxybutyric acid, bilirubin, and nonesterified fatty acids were determined., Results: Most cows with LDA and cows with severe fatty liver were detected within the first month after calving. Postsurgical outcome was related to severity of fatty liver. All cows that died had severe fatty liver. Serum activities of OCT, aspartate aminotransferase, and glutamate dehydrogenase and serum total bilirubin concentration were sensitive indicators of fatty liver. Serum bile acids concentration was not an accurate indicator of fatty liver., Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Postsurgical outcome of cows undergoing surgery to correct LDA was related to fatty liver severity. Assessment of serum activities of OCT, aspartate aminotransferase, and glutamate dehydrogenase and serum total bilirubin concentration is recommended for diagnosis of fatty liver in dairy cows with LDA, whereas determination of bile acids concentration is not. The strong correlation between OCT activity and degree of hepatocellular damage supports use of this enzyme for assessing severity of fatty liver and predicting postsurgical outcome in cows with LDA.

Fifty-two clinically healthy Holstein cows were randomly assigned to one of three groups according to their age and parity. The first group (A) consisted of 17 cows that were fed a concentrate ration supplemented with 1.25 per cent clinoptilolite, the second group (B) consisted of 17 cows fed a ration supplemented with 2.5 per cent clinoptilolite, and the third group (C) consisted of 18 cows, which were fed the basal ration containing no clinoptilolite. The rations were fed from four weeks before the cows' expected parturition dates until the beginning of the next dry period. Blood samples were collected from each animal at the start of the experiment, on the day of calving and then monthly, and analysed for serum glucose, ketone bodies, liver enzymes, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and total proteins. The milk yield of each cow was recorded monthly. The cows in group B had significantly fewer cases of clinical ketosis during the first month after calving and a higher total milk yield. Feeding the cows with clinoptilolite for a long period had no apparent adverse effects on their liver function, and did not significantly affect the concentrations of glucose, ketone bodies, BUN and total proteins in their serum.

Objective: To determine whether dietary supplementation with clinoptilolite affects the incidence of parturient paresis and serum concentrations of total calcium (tCa), inorganic phosphorus (PO(4) (2)), magnesium (Mg2+), potassium (K+), and sodium (Na+) in dairy cattle., Animals: 52 dairy cows. Procedure-Cows were placed into 3 groups. The first 2 groups (group A [n = 17] and group B [17]) were offered a concentrate supplemented with 1.25% and 2.5% clinoptilolite, respectively. The third (group C [n = 18]) served as a control and was offered the concentrate alone. The experiment started 1 month before parturition and lasted until the beginning of the next nonlactating period. Around the time of calving, all cows were monitored for the development of parturient paresis. Blood samples were taken at the commencement of the experiment, on the day of calving, and thereafter at monthly intervals to measure serum tCa, PO(4) (2), Mg2+, K+, and Na+ concentrations. Results-The incidence of parturient paresis in group B cows was significantly lower, compared with group C cows. However, serum concentrations of tCa, P(O4) (2), Mg2+, K+, and Na+ were not significantly affected by long-term supplementation with clinoptilolite., Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: In the context of this experiment, clinoptilolite supplementation at 2.5% appeared to have reduced the incidence of parturient paresis in dairy cows, suggesting that its effectiveness depends on the amount incorporated in the ration of cows. Addition of clinoptilolite in the concentrate of dairy cows during the nonlactating period could be used as a cost-effective preventive treatment for parturient paresis.

Sixty clinically healthy Holstein cows were randomly assigned to one of four groups according to their age and parity and vaccinated in late pregnancy (day 190) with a multivalent vaccine against Escherichia coli. The 15 cows in the first group (SeE) were injected intramuscularly with a solution of sodium selenite (0.1 mg Se/kg bodyweight) and vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol acetate, 8 U/kg bodyweight), the cows in the second group (Se) received only selenium and the cows in the third group (E) received only vitamin E at the same doses and by the same route of administration; the cows in the fourth group were used as controls. The vaccination and the injections of selenium and vitamin E were repeated 42 days later. The concentration of selenium in whole blood and of vitamin E in serum was determined by fluorometric methods. Specific antibody titres against E coli were determined in serum samples by ELISA. The results showed that the injection of selenium either alone or in combination with vitamin E significantly improved the production of specific antibodies against E coli, and that the production of specific antibodies was greater after the administration of selenium alone.

The present paper discusses "tongue rolling" observed in dairy cattle farms of a region in northern Greece associated with manganese deficiency. In these animals total body manganese status was evaluated by determining hair, as well as feed manganese content. Cows exhibiting tongue rolling had significantly lower hair manganese content, compared to non-tongue rolling control animals from other farms; in addition, feedstuff analysis demonstrated that manganese and inorganic phosphorus intake of affected cows was also significantly lower.

The incidence of subclinical lead (Pb) poisoning was investigated in the cattle population of an industrial area in northern Greece. The cattle were divided into two groups with respect to their alleged exposure to Pb, which was assayed by determining whole blood and hair Pb concentration and erythrocyte delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALA-D) activity. The cows which were located closer to potential contamination sources were found to have higher (P < 0.05) blood and hair Pb content, whereas no significant differences were noted in ALA-D activity. Hair Pb increased significantly (P < 0.05) with age, an observation which should lead to further, more extensive research, in order to evaluate the possibility of using hair as indicator of chronic Pb intake.

Investigations on the efficacy of Clanobutin for prophylaxis of postpartum primary ketosis were performed in dairy cows. No one cow in the group of 15 treated animals diseased by ketosis, but 2 of 15 control animals showed signs of primary ketosis. The results show the good efficacy of Clanobutin for prophylaxis of postpartum primary ketosis in dairy cows.

The article presents a case study on the diagnosis given to a five-year-old red deer calf with tachypnoea, dyspnoea and was having a difficulty in moving. According to clinical findings, muscular damage was observed on the calf based on the creatinine phosphokinase activities conducted and low selenium level in blood of only 24.8 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L). It was found that the livestock was suffering from congenital white muscle disease (WMD).