Research Summary - 1
Supportive care following left displaced abomasum surgery in dairy cattle a descriptive analysis of performance and survival: case study
| Date/Time: |
8/27/2026
17:00
|
| Author: |
Luciano Caixeta |
| Clinic: |
University of Minnesota |
| City, State, ZIP: |
St. Paul, MN 55108 |
Luciano Caixeta, DVM, PhD
1
;
Elise Shepley, PhD, MSc
1
;
James Bennett, DVM
2
;
1Department of Population Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 51108
2Northern Valley Livestock Services, Plainview, MN, 55964
Introduction:
Displaced abomasum (DA), primarily left displaced abomasum (LDA), is a common disorder in transition dairy cows, and is associated with substantial economic losses due to treatment costs, reduced milk production, impaired reproductive performance, and increased risk of early culling. Surgical correction is common, but the efficacy of supportive propylene glycol, dextrose, and oral calcium is not well established for all dairy cows. The objective of this case study was to explore the difference in health and reproductive parameters in cows that were provided post-operative supportive care following LDA surgery (LDA-T), those that had LDA surgery but did not receive supportive care (LDA-NT), and cows that had no LDA (CON).
Materials and methods:
Participating veterinary clinics enrolled surgical left displacement cases from 13 Minnesota dairy farms. Due to study limitations, only 57 cows of a targeted 250 could be enrolled, with cows randomly assigned to receive supportive care post-LDA surgery (LDA-T; n = 30); 300 mL propylene glycol for 3 days and oral calcium supplementation) or no supportive care (LDA-NT; n = 24). A third comparison group of cows without LDA (CON; n = 208) was selected from the same farms using matched sampling based on parity and fresh date, with multiparous cows additionally matched on previous lactation performance and length and previous days carrying calf. Outcomes were obtained from herd management software and included first occurrence of any non-DA health disorder within 60 DIM, culling risk across the lactation, pregnancy success at first breeding, and pregnancy by 150 days in milk. Due to low enrollment numbers, outcomes were explored descriptively.
Results:
The LDA-T cows had greater previous lactation milk yield (mean ± Std. Dev.) at 31,255 ± 11,738 lb compared to LDA-NT (20,923 ± 15,298 lb) and longer previous lactation length (345 ± 44 vs 315 ± 24), while previous days carrying calf were similar. As CON cows were matched on these parameters, they fell between the other two groups at 26,687 ± 13,619 lb previous milk and 331 ± 38 DIM in previous lactation. LDA cows were similar at diagnosis except for metabolic status at diagnosis; LDA-T cows had higher BHB (2.39 vs 2.10 mmol/L) and glucose concentrations (58 vs 47 mg/dL) than LDA-NT.
Culling risk was highest in CON cows (66%) compared to LDA-NT (33%) and LDA-T cows (30%); however, cows receiving supportive care were removed earlier in lactation (88 ± 97 DIM) than both LDA-NT (180 ± 150 DIM) and CON cows (200 ± 117 DIM). Mortality rates were similar across groups at 2 (8.3%), 2 (6.7%) and 21 (10%) of LDA-NT, LDA-T, and CON cows overall, respectively, though, as with overall culling, death occurred earlier in LDA-T cows (5 ± 1 DIM) compared to LDA-NT (65 ± 77 DIM) and non-LDA cows (111 ± 116 DIM). While LDA cows had more non-DA transition health event in the first 60 DIM compared to CON (34 cows, 16%), this was highest in LDA-T cows 20 (67%) and at 11 (46%) for LDA-NT.
Of the cows that were not culled, reproductive performance was higher in LDA-T cows, with higher pregnancy at first service (11 cows, 46%) and overall pregnancy rate (22 cows, 92%) compared to LDA-NT (5 cows,28%; 16 cows, 89%) and non-LDA cows (36 cows, 24%; 105 cows, 71%). The DIM at pregnancy was 107 ± 47, 116 ± 54 and 133 ± 87 for LDA-T, CON, and LDA-NT, respectively; however, CON cows required more services per conception (2.75 ± 3.04) compared to LDA-T (2.10 ± 1.99) and LDA-T (2.33 ± 2.63).
Significance:
Cows with LDA experienced a substantially higher burden of transition disease within the first 60 DIM compared to non-LDA controls. Among LDA cows, LDA-T did not reduce culling risk relative to untreated cows but was associated with earlier removal, likely reflecting treatment of higher-risk animals, as these cows had greater previous lactation milk yield and evidence of greater metabolic challenge at diagnosis. Despite this, reproductive performance among surviving cows was similar or improved in LDA-T compared to LDA-NT, indicating that supportive care may aid recovery and subsequent reproductive success, although interpretation should also consider selection bias toward higher-producing animals receiving treatment. Further exploration of milk yield outcome may be warranted to better elucidate treatment differences.
