The displacement of the abomasum to the right (RDA) is a common condition regularly encountered in dairy cows, which requires urgent surgical correction. The survival of the patient primarily depends on early diagnosis and timely treatment, but other factors contributing to the outcome have been discussed in the literature. The objective of this study was to identify preoperative clinical, hematological, as well as intraoperative parameters that are associated with the prognosis of cows with RDA or abomasal volvulus (AV). This retrospective study included patients admitted to a veterinary teaching hospital over a period of 6 years with a diagnosis of RDA or AV. A total of 234 cows were included, of which 193 were discharged after treatment and thus classified as survivors. In contrast, 41 cases died or were euthanized during or after surgery and were categorized as non-survivors. Non-survivors showed more severe dehydration, higher heart rate, lower sodium, as well as higher L-lactate and phosphorus concentration in their blood prior to surgery compared with the survivors. During surgery, the abomasum of non-survivors was markedly dilated and twisted more frequently than in survivors. The results presented here can facilitate the early identification of animals with poor prognosis requiring more intensive peri- and postoperative care.
Keywords: cattle; indicator; laparotomy; omentopexy; outcome; prognosis; survival; volvulus.