How to differentiate between endocarditis and other chronic diseases in cattle

Sixty-eight cases with a chronic disease unresponsive to initial treatment were examined. Based on the results of the post-mortem examinations 25 cows were confirmed with endocarditis. In 20 (80%) of these cases more than one heart valve was affected. Septic embolisation was found 23 (92%) times. Arcanobacterium pyogenes was the most frequently (69, 6%) isolated bacteria. The most useful clinical tool for differentiating between the endocarditis cows and the control cows was the auscultation of the heart. We found that endocarditis had more often a systolic murmur on the punctum maximum of the RAV with or without a systolic murmur elsewhere. In addition, cows with endocarditis were more often detected with signs of a pneumonia at lung auscultation and had more often a prolonged turgor. Also cows with endocarditis more often had a decreased hematocrit, a lower leukocyte and eosinophil count and a decreased albumin content.