Retrospective Study on the Unusual Clinical Presentations of Different Surgical Affections of the Digestive System in Large Ruminants

The present study aimed to sort and describe rare surgical affections of the digestive system and those with unusual clinical presentations in large ruminants (cattle and buffaloes). Twenty-three animals with different ages, weight, and sexes were selected from 3225 cases admitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Assiut University, in the duration between July 2015 and September 2019. The selected animals had single or multiple lesions. The surgical affections were unusual cases of brachygnathia inferior (1), opened right mouth commissure (1), macroglossia (1), tumor attached to the tongue (1), ectasia of parotid duct (1), supra-orbital sialocele (1), para-esophageal septic hematoma (1), Peri-esophageal abscess (1), peri-esophageal mass (1), diaphragmatic hernia (1), left displacement of abomasum (6), intestinal volvulus (1), segmental stenosis of caudal part of descending colon (1), and umbilical eventration (5). The results of this study revealed that eight affections (12 animals) were congenital, five affections (10 animals) were acquired and one affection could not be determined. The affected animals were 22 cattle (mature and immature), and 1 buffalo calf. They were 17 males and 6 females. Three out of 10 (3/10) treated congenital cases improved and survived, whilst the other seven cases either died or did not improve. Eight out of ten treated animals with acquired affections improved and recovered, while the other two animals died (1 case), and did not improve (1 case). It could be concluded that the unusual affections of the digestive system are common in cattle than buffaloes. The surgical outcomes of the congenital affections of the digestive system were not good, which refer to that the animals might have other covert or inapparent defects. The surgical corrections of acquired cases are feasible.