Clinical and surgical findings in cows showing recurrent rumen tympany

Eighteen adult cows suffering from recurrent tympany for at least one month which underwent exploratory laparotomy and rumenotomy were divided into three groups. Group I (n=8) included cows with reticuloruminal metallic foreign bodies and perireticular adhesions and/or inflammation, group II (n=6) included cows with reticuloruminal non-metallic foreign bodies and no perireticular adhesions and group III (n=4) included cows with no reticuloruminal foreign bodies and no perireticular adhesions. Inappetance and recurrent ruminal tympany were the most common clinical signs in all groups. The signs of pain were predominantly expressed by all the animals and showed leukocytosis, neutrophilia and lymphocytopenia. The plasma fibrinogen and enzyme AST were increased in all the animals of group I. The postoperative complications were recorded in all the cases, which recovered uneventfully after necessary therapeutic intervention.