Pericarditis is an inflammation of the pericardium that results in accumulation of pericardial fluid within the pericardial sac in cattle. It is mostly caused by the perforation of the pericardial sac by sharp metallic foreign body through the reticulum. In a veterinary clinic in Menoufia, many cases were followed up with symptoms that interfere with pericarditis due to machinery preparing for animal food, cattle swallow food without examining it with the upper lip, which facilitates infection with nails, wires and needles and as a consequence lead to pericarditis. This study included suspected cross bred cattle’s (N=42) that were examined due to digestive disturbance, all cases were examined with metal detector. Out of them 23 give negative results while the other 12 case give positive with clinical symptom of tachycardia, muffled heart sounds, absence of lung sound in the ventral thorax, abnormal heart sounds, distension of the jugular veins and pulsation and submandibular, brisket and ventral abdominal edema are usually present. Abnormal demeanour and general condition, decreased rumen motility, poorly digested faeces, fever. From the positive cases, eight were pregnant. Seven cases were positive with the metal detector without typical clinical symptoms but suffered from recurrent tympany and decreased rumen movement. Blood samples were examined and the results confirmed the diagnoses, hematological findings included decreased hematocrit and leukocytosis with shift to left, neutrophilia and hyperfibrinogenaemia (indicating inflammation) was associated with increased globulin and total protein. Traumatic pericarditis was confirmed postmortem in two cattle with typical pericarditis. Pericarditis can be avoided by the proper managemental practices like feeding of magnets, avoiding potential and non-potential foreign bodies in the feed and fodder of the animals, Treatment of pericarditis in cattle usually is addressed toward short term survival to calving. Treatment would be attempted only in a valuable animal or in an animal carrying a high value embryo. Diuretics for eliminating peripheral edema, systemic antibiotics and drainage of the pericardial sac, then supportive treatment, Rumenotomy is effective for the diagnoses and the treatment if possible. The sever and complicated cases must be sent to slaughter house.
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