Predictive Values for Clinical Signs of Abomasal Ulcer Disease in Adult Dairy Cattle

Smith, D.F., Munson, L. and Erb, H.N., 1986. Predictive values for clinical signs of abomasal ulcer disease in adult dairy cattle. Prey. Vet. Med., 3: 573--580. A 12-month prospective study was performed to determine the predictive values for clinical signs of abomasal ulcer disease in a hospital population of 296 adult dairy cows which were believed to have gastrointestinal dysfunction. There were 26 ulcer-positive cows (prevalence 8.8%). The occult blood test was a more reliable indicator of abomasal ulcer disease than were the abdominal pain or anemia tests. Only three ulcer-positive cows were negative for all three tests. Forty-five cows were positive for at least one of the three clinical tests. The principal diseases present in the 22 cows that had false-positive results were traumatic reticuloperitonitis, abomasal displacement, liver disease, cecal volvulus and pneumonia or pleuritis.