A 24-month-old Japanese Black beef cow (body weight 446 kg) was admitted to Kitasato University Animal Hospital presenting with clinical symptoms of anorexia, depression, hard feces, enophthalmus and severely jaundiced vulval mucous membrane. Hematological and biochemical analyses revealed dehydration, severe jaundice (total bilirubin ［T-Bil］ 8.0 mg/dℓ, direct bilirubin ［D-Bil］ 6.0 mg/dℓ) , impaired hepatic function, and hyperlipemia (γ-GTP 2,129 IU/ℓ, AST 178 IU/ℓ, bile acid 366μmol/ℓ, total cholesterol 390 mg/dℓ). Bilirubin was 3+ in urinalysis. The clinical and biochemical findings were strongly suggestive of obstructive jaundice. Therefore, we treated by intravenous (i.v.) injection of acetate Ringer' s and 5 % glucose solution with added ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA, 473.5 mg/day) , and intramuscular (i.m.) injection of prednisolone (PDL, 100 mg/day). We switched the bile acid drug to oral administration (UDCA, 500mg/day) and PDL i.m. to 50 mg/day from the third hospital day. As plasma T-Bil further increased, we treated with a prifinium bromide drug (PB, 75 mg/ day) i.v. during the 6th-8th hospital days. The jaundice decreased and appetite improved by the 9th hospital day, so we stopped PDL and gave only oral administration of the UDCA drug from then on. The jaundice had disappeared by the 27th hospital day. The plasma T-Bil had decreased to 0.6 mg/dℓ by the 40th hospital day, when the cow was discharged from our hospital. The animal was shipped 30 days later, and the carcass was sold as normal. On gross inspection, the liver showed moderate swelling. Microscopically, diffuse hydropic degeneration of hepatocytes, fibrosis of interlobular connective tissue, and proliferation of bile ducts in the portal and periportal areas were observed. The results suggest that treatment with UDCA and PB is effective for severe obstructive jaundice in cattle.
