A Case Report of Congenital Ventricular Septal Defect in a Newborn Holstein Calf

The ventricular septal defect is the most common congenital cardiac defects in sheep, cattle and horses. It occurs frequently as a subaortic defect. Echocardiography is a rapid and noninvasive method for evaluation of cardiac congenital disease in animals. This diagnostic technique that can provide a wealth of helpful information including the size and shape of the heart, its pumping strength and the location and extent of any damage to its tissues. It is especially useful for assessing diseases of the heart valves, as it reveal abnormalities such as poorly functioning heart valves. A newborn female calf in a farm of dairy cattle found dead. It was stated that the calf had survived for only 4 hours. No pathological findings were observed upon general examination. In necropsy, most evident signs in necropsy were mild hypertrophy of heart with abnormal shape and pulmonary congestion.