BackgroundIn cattle, the prognosis of brain abscess is unfavourable and treatment is therefore not recommended. To the knowledge of the authors, there has been no report of successful treatment of a brain abscess in cattle.This report describes the clinical, computed tomographic and postmortem findings in a Holstein–Friesian bull with a hypophyseal abscess.Case reportThe main clinical findings were generalised ataxia, ptyalism, prolapse of the tongue, dropped jaw, dysphagia, head tilt and unilateral ptosis. Cerebrospinal fluid evaluation revealed 2437 leukocytes/µl and severe pleocytosis. CT examination of the head showed a cavitary lesion consistent with an abscess in the hypophysis. Treatment consisted of gentamicin and flunixin meglumine for 3 days and amoxicillin for 40 days. The neurological signs resolved within 8 days of the start of treatment. The bull was slaughtered 11 months later because of infertility, and a postmortem examination was carried out. Histologically, a mild chronic non suppurative meningoencephalitis restricted to the ventral diencephalon was diagnosed. In addition, there was mild to moderate multifocal chronic lymphoplasmacytic hypophysitis with mild multifocal fibrosis.ConclusionsThis case report stresses the significance of CT in confirming the clinical and laboratory diagnosis of central nervous system disorders in cattle and for localising brain lesions. Treatment of the brain abscess resulted, with respect to the central nervous disorder, in a successful outcome and was encouraging considering that most cases have an unfavourable prognosis.

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An oesophageal tube feeder was used to administer milk to six clinically healthy calves every 12 hours for a total of three feedings. The calves were seven to nine days of age, and each feeding consisted of a volume of milk that was 6 % of the body weight of the calves. The reticulum and abomasum were scanned ultrasonographically before, during and after drenching. Blood samples for Dlactate determination and venous blood gas analysis were collected at -12, 0 (first drenching), 6, 12 (second drenching), 18, 24 (third drenching), 30 and 36 hours. Ruminal fluid was collected for measurement of pH and D-lactate concentration at -12 and 36 hours. Based on simultaneous ultrasonographic examinations of the reticulum and abomasum, some of the force-fed milk flowed into the reticulum and some directly into the abomasum; both organs contained milk immediately after drenching. Drenching led to ruminal acidosis evidenced by a significant decrease in median pH from 7,0 (6,0 -7,0) to 4,5 (3,0 -5,0) and a 93-fold increase in median D-lactate concentration from 0,39 (0,14 -1,33) to 36,3 (17,9 -53,3) mmol/l but it did not cause metabolic acidosis. Based on these findings, we concluded that milk administered to calves via an oesophageal tube feeder flows into the reticulum and abomasum simultaneously and three force feedings 12 hours apart cause acute ruminal acidosis, which was not accompanied by metabolic acidosis in the short term. Sechs Kälber wurden ab dem siebten Lebenstag dreimal im Abstand von 12 Stunden mit Milch in einer Menge von 6 % des Körpergewichts gedrencht. Vor, während und nach dem Drenchen wurden die Haube und der Labmagen sonographisch untersucht. Blutproben für die Bestimmung von D-Laktat und eine venöse Blutgasanalyse wurden zu den Zeitpunkten -12, 0 (erstes Drenchen), 6, 12 (zweites Drenchen), 18, 24 (drittes Drenchen), 30 und 36 Stunden, Pansensaftproben für die Bestimmung von pH-Wert und D-Laktat zu den Zeitpunkten -12 und +36 Stunden entnommen. Basierend auf der gleichzeitigen Ultraschalluntersuchung von Haube und Labmagen gelangte während des Drenchens ein Teil der Milch in die Haube und ein weiterer direkt in den Labmagen. Nach dem Drenchen war sonographisch in beiden Organen Milch zu sehen. Im Pansen kam es nach dem Drenchen zu einer Azidose mit signifikantem Absinken des medianen pH-Werts von 7,0 (6,0 -7,0) auf 4,5 (3,0 -5,0) und Ansteigen der medianen D-Laktatkonzentration um das 93fache von 0,39 (0,14 -1,33) auf 36,3 (17,9 -53,3) mmol/l. Im Gegensatz zum Pansensaft wichen der Blut-pH-Wert und die Basenabweichung nicht von der Norm ab. Die Untersuchungen lassen den Schluss zu, dass die Milch beim Drenchen von Kälbern gleichzeitig in die Haube und den Labmagen gelangt und dass das dreimalige Drenchen im Abstand von 12 Stunden zu einer akuten Pansenazidose, welche (vorerst) nicht von einer signifikanten Änderung von Blut-pH-Wert und Basenabweichung begleitet wird, führt.

Background Nursing and sucking are essential for adequate nourishment of preweaned calves and the relationship between sucking indices has not been studied. The goal of this study was to investigate the number of sucks per litre of milk and per minute of drinking and the amount of milk ingested per suck in healthy preweaned calves. Correlation coefficients were calculated for the relationships between these variables. Eighteen healthy calves were used from birth to 5 weeks of age, and five measurements were made at the end of weeks 1 to 5. The calves were randomly divided into three groups and offered milk twice daily in a bucket with a rubber nipple. The amount of milk offered per day was equal to 12% of body weight in group A and 16% of body weight in group B. Calves in group C were offered as much milk as they wanted during each feeding period. The duration of drinking was determined with a stopwatch, and the number of sucks was counted with a handheld tally counter. The variables drinking duration, total amount consumed and the number of sucks required were used to calculate the number of sucks/min, the number of sucks/L, the amount ingested per suck and drinking speed. Results The number of sucks/min ranged from 113 to 133 and increased significantly during the study period. The mean number of sucks/L decreased from 204 in week 1 to 141 in week 5 and drinking speed increased from 0.6 to 1.0 L/min. There were significant correlations between the number of sucks/L of milk and the amount of milk ingested per suck, drinking duration, total amount consumed and drinking speed. Drinking speed was positively correlated with the amount of milk ingested per suck and the total amount of milk consumed, and negatively correlated with drinking duration. Conclusions These findings show that drinking variables of calves offered different amounts of milk vary little and significant changes occur during the same period with respect to the number of sucks/L of milk and the amount of milk ingested per suck. Several drinking variables are significantly correlated with other variables.