Traumatic Pericarditis

aka: Wire; Hardware Disease

Description

• Pathophysiology

• A common cause of severe abdominal pain in cattle.

• Rare in other animals.

Diagnosis

History & Clinical Signs

• Common in dairy cattle

• Dull

• Depressed

• Extension of the neck

• Arching of the back

• Standing with elbows abducted

• Signs of right sided heart failure

• Peripheral oedema

Physical Exam

• Grunt (pain response) when pressure is applied to the ventral abdomen

• Increased temperature

• Increased pulses

• Decreased to absent rumenal activity

• Dry mucus covered feces

• Tachycardia

Laboratory Findings

Complete Cell Count:

• Neutrophilia with a left shift

• Increased fibrinogen

• Increased serum total protein

Fluid Analysis: Fluid used from pericardiocentesis can confirm traumatic pericarditis

• Bacteria within neutrophils

• A large number of degenerate neutrophils

Treatment

• Confine animal

• Broad Spectrum Antibiotics

• Administer fluids if the animal is dehydrated

• Remove foreign object with a rumenotomy

• Due to economics most animals are culled

• Prevention through good husbandry practices is the best treatment!