Visceral blackleg in calves

摘要

A beef cattle producer checked his 70-cow herd at 8 a.m. and found a 6-month-old (240kg) calf that had recently died. All animals in the herd had been checked the prior afternoon and no animals appeared sick. The owner did not seek assistance in determining the cause of death of the calf. When he checked the cows at 5 p.m., a calf exhibited soreness and reluctance to move. At this time, veterinary assistance was requested. This calf was also dead when the veterinarian arrived at the farm one hour later. Physical examination of the calf revealed no significant findings. No external evidence of injury or struggle was found. No lesions were found over the muscular areas, and no signs of diarrhea or nasal discharge were evident. Gross necropsy resultsrevealed no muscle discoloration over the limbs or lumbar areas. The lungs, stomach, spleen, and intestines appeared normal. However, several abnormal findings were found, including hemoperitoneum, friable and discolored liver, discolored heart with pericarditis, and swollen, discolored kidneys.