VSR 421: Regional Veterinary Surgery (2+1)

ABOMASAL IMPACTION

• Abomasal impaction is seen more frequently in dairy cattle, due to ingestion of rubber latex but also occurs in calves, goats, sheep and buffaloes.
• Impaction may occur in camels following ingestion of hair balls, polythene bags and other material.
• The primary cause is excessive consumption of poor quantity indigestible roughages and inadequate mineral supplementation with restricted access to water.
• Foreign bodies such as phytobezoars and accumulation of sand may also cause impaction. Ocassionally, placenta eaten by recently calved animals may obstruct the pylorus and cause abomasal impaction.
• The secondary impaction may occur due to any condition that may reduce abomasal motility. Conditions like traumatic reticulo peritonitis, abomasal lymphosarcoma etc are found leading to abomasal impaction.

Clinical signs and diagnosis

• Complete anorexia, scanty faeces and moderate distension of the abdomen on the right side.
• Marked dehydration and loss of body condition follows as the condition advances. The lower right abdominal quadrant of the affected cows appear distended giving a “pear” shaped appearance when viewed from behind.
• Deep palpation cranial to mid-lower right quadrant abdomen reveals abomasum. Temperature, heart rate and respiration remain normal usually, but in the later stages heart rate may elevate considerably.
• Laboratory findings include metabolic alkalosis, hypochoraemia, hypokalaemia and haemoconcentration.
• Diagnosis is based on the history of feeding, clinical signs and laboratory findings.
• The condition should be  differentiated from diffuse peritonitis, acute intestinal obstruction and functional pyloris stenosis.