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Veterinary surgeon
Sotirios Karvountzis
XLVets practice
Shepton Veterinary
Group
Some practical advice
on spotting a displaced
abomasum
(DA)
DISPLACED ABOMASUM
A displaced abomasum in a freshly calved cow is costly to put right, and it takes
time for milk yields to return to normal. Where cases do occur, the sooner they are
treated the better. XLVets’ Sotirios Karvountzis of Shepton Vets in Somerset uses
an endoscopic technique to treat DA (displaced abomasum) cases, resulting in
faster recovery rates than traditional methods.
SOTIRIOS KARVOUNTZIS, SHEPTON VETERINARY GROUP
Anatomy of a DA
The rumen is the first of a cow’s stomachs,
followed by the reticulum, then the omasum.
The abomasum is the fourth stomach, and is
equivalent in its function to a human’s. The first
three stomachs are fixed or weighted down.
But the abomasum is kept in place towards
the bottom of a cow’s abdominal cavity only
by gravity and the rumen above it.
An abomasum can become displaced when
1) the cow has not been eating, e.g. after
a difficult calving, and the rumen becomes
empty and loose, and/or 2) when rumen
fermentation is poor, and a lot of gas is
produced. This latter effect can occur when
cows are turned out to grass, as their diet
will change to one which will produce
more gas once digested.
When a lot of gas, as well as fluid, enters
this fourth stomach, it makes the abomasum
more buoyant, and as the rumen no longer
fully blocks its path, it causes it to rise
and displace.
Due to the natural physical contractions of
the abomasum (peristalsis), it is more likely
to dislodge to the left than the right, hence
the term LDA, although RDAs do occur in
approximately 20% of cases.
For those looking after the herd, the first
outward sign of a DA is that a cow stops
eating and milk yield drops. The only way
to resolve the situation is by veterinary
intervention to physically release the gas
and re-site the abomasum.
A new technique to resolve the issue
WORKING
TOGETHER
FOR A HEALTHIER FUTURE...
5
LIVESTOCK MATTERS
Sotirios with endoscope