CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE IN CATTLE A LEARNING CURVE
By Julia Herman , DVM , MS , DACVPM
Beef Cattle Specialist Veterinarian , NCBA , a contractor to the Beef Checkoff
There are few cattle diseases that do not have clear prevention strategies . For instance , to mitigate the risk of respiratory disease in cattle , a cattle producer could work on many prevention practices found in the Beef Checkofffunded Beef Quality Assurance program . These may include improving biosecurity practices like quarantining new animals or separating young calves from older calves , working with their veterinarian to fine tune their vaccination program , or improving nutrition plans for better immune system preparation .
Prevention and treatment of Bovine Congestive Heart Failure ( BCHF ) is more challenging and requires exploration of several factors affecting this condition . This disease has become more common at the cow-calf and feedlot levels in the past few years and understanding the disease brings up many more questions . Brian Vander Ley , veterinarian and associate professor at University of Nebraska-Lincoln , has researched this disease to find practical solutions for cattle producers . He discussed a few questions that cattle producers have asked .
What is congestive heart failure ?
Congestive heart failure is the name given to the last stage of damage or dysfunction to the circulatory system which includes the heart , lungs and blood vessels . At this end stage , blood flow around the body is significantly impaired and fluid management is no longer possible , leading to fluid buildup in multiple areas of the body . When cattle reach this stage of congestive heart failure , signs like brisket swelling ( leading to these animals being
Photo from Micheal Heaton , USMARC called “ brisket disease ” cases ) are evident . This accumulation of fluid in body cavities like the chest , abdomen , and even around the heart itself cause difficulty breathing , exercise intolerance , elbows distended away from the body , and other signs .
How to cattle develop CHF ?
Cattle can develop CHF in many ways . It helps to understand how the heart and blood vessels work to provide critical nutrients and to remove waste from cells in the body . The heart pumps blood by relaxing and allowing blood to fill it , very much like a balloon being filled with air . Once filled , the muscles of the heart contract to shrink the chambers of the heart and force the blood out into the blood vessels where the blood is then retained by one-way check valves . The heart has two big pumping chambers ( ventricles ), one that sends blood to the lungs to pick up oxygen , and one that pushes blood out to the body .
Heart failure happens when one or more of the actions of the heart are interrupted . For instance , cattle that live at high elevations where oxygen is less abundant can experience a slowing of blood flow through their lungs to make oxygen pickup more effective . This creates a huge resistance to blood flow out of the heart and can eventually cause the heart to fail . These cases are the classic “ high mountain disease ” cases . Chronic pneumonia cattle will also experience this type of CHF as the infected lungs cause the resistance of blood flow out of the lungs .
Another way the heart can fail is by being unable to fill with blood , such as
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