A retrospective study of the congenital anomalies of the axial and appendicular skeleton in cow calves

Abstract EN

The present study was carried out to classify, assess and manage the different anomalies of the axial and appendicular skeleton in cow calves and to determine the outcome of possible conservative and surgical management, as well as the survival period of each case.

Thirty-one calves with thirty-nine skeletal anomalies were retrospectively investigated.

These animals were admitted to the clinic of Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Assiut University, Egypt.

The anomalies were 2 hydrocephalus, 5 meningocele, 5 cleft palate, 2 polymelia, 13 flexural deformities (FD) of the carpal and fetlock joints, 3 arthrogyroposis, 2 lordosis, 1 spinabifida, 3 anury, 1 achondroplastic malformation (bulldog calf), 1 wry nose, and 1 lateral patellar luxation.

The clinical signs varied according to the different anomalies.

Some of the reported anomalies had a clinical significance on the calf's awareness, suckling behavior or locomotion function such as meningocele, hydrocephalus, cleft palate, polymelia, FD, arthrogyroposis, and lateral luxation of the patella.

The other defects such as lordosis, anury, non-penetrating spina bifida, and wry nose had no significant effects on the animal condition.

The surgical treatment gave satisfactory results in cases of FD of the carpal and fetlock joints and in a case of polymelia which enable the treated animals to complete their life normally.