Understanding abomasal displacement in cattle has been the objective of numerous in-vitro and in-vivo studies. However, a complete elucidation of its pathogenesis has still to be achieved. Nevertheless, a gene test has been developed to diagnose an existing genetic predisposition of individual animals, relying on genomic analyses. An influence of breeding on the incidence of abomasal displacement has become possible, at least within the German Holstein breed, although the test costs remain considerable. According to several studies, distinct laboratory parameters in combination with clinical findings offer the possibility to objectively estimate the (postoperative) prognosis for an individual animal suffering from abomasal displacement.
Keywords: Laboratory diagnostics; genetics; molecular biology; prognosis.