Hydrallantois in cows
Collyer, J.H.
Veterinary Record 127(2): 47
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0042-4900 PMID: 2168601 Document Number: 352357
Over a 2 to 3 month period in 1990 7 cows in a 120 Friesian/Holstein cow herd were seen with varying degrees of abdominal distension caused by hydrallantois. They were all 6 to 7 months pregnant. Four cows aborted, one calved 10 days early, with dead twins, one calved full term but stillborn and one, at the time of the report was 8.5 months pregnant. When first examined the cows appeared in good bodily condition and by the time they calved or aborted there was a marked weight loss. All abortions were brucellosis negative. Four cows had high titres to bovine diarrhoea virus (BVDV), 3 with titres of at least 2560. Two of these cows had low total protein and low globulin values. Fetal fluids from one of the abortions also had a titre to BVDV of 80. The author suggests that BVDV is responsible for the abortions and that the hydrallantois is also caused by BVDV.