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Herd Health & Disease ManagementDisplaced Abomasum After Calving: Risk Factors and Response
A displaced abomasum happens when the fourth stomach fills with gas and shifts out of place. It is most common in the weeks after calving, and early recognition matters.
Key points
- A displaced abomasum is a shifted fourth stomach, most common soon after calving.
- Poor appetite, falling milk and loose manure are warning signs.
- Other fresh cow diseases raise the risk, so prevent and treat them early.
- Call your vet the same day for a diagnosis and plan.
- Follow withdrawal times exactly for any treated cow.
What a displaced abomasum is
The abomasum is the true stomach of the cow. After calving, it can fill with gas and move from its normal spot on the floor of the abdomen. Most often it moves to the left side, under the rumen, and less often it twists on the right side, which is more serious.
Because the stomach cannot empty properly, the cow eats less, makes less milk and loses condition. It is a condition that needs a veterinary diagnosis, and in many cases a procedure carried out by a vet.
Why it happens after calving
Several things come together in the fresh period. The calf leaves, and space opens up in the abdomen. Feed intake is low just when the cow needs it most. Gut motility slows when a cow is low in blood calcium or has another fresh disease.
Anything that cuts feed intake raises the risk: ketosis, milk fever, retained placenta, metritis, mastitis and lameness. A displaced abomasum is often the second problem in a cow that was already struggling.
Signs to watch
The classic picture is a fresh cow with poor appetite, especially for grain, falling milk, small amounts of loose manure and a slightly tucked-up look. Your vet may find a ping, a high-pitched sound, when tapping the area behind the last rib while listening with a stethoscope.
Do not try to diagnose it yourself from the outside. Several other fresh cow diseases look similar, and the right response depends on the exact cause.
- Drop in feed intake, especially grain
- Falling milk yield
- Reduced, loose or pasty manure
- Sunken left flank or an uneven shape
- Less cud chewing
- Often a recent history of other fresh problems
Risk factors you can manage
Cows that calve too fat, cows with heavy twin or assisted births, and cows fed rations that are too low in effective fiber are at higher risk. Overcrowding and competition at the bunk also lower intake.
Body condition score runs on a one-to-five scale, and your nutritionist can help you pick a target for dry cows that fits your herd. Work with your nutritionist on fiber, forage quality and feed bunk management for close-up and fresh cows.
- Avoid overly fat dry cows
- Provide enough bunk space and fresh feed
- Check the physical form and effective fiber of the ration
- Prevent and treat other fresh diseases promptly
- Keep cow movement and regrouping calm
What to do when you suspect one
Call your veterinarian the same day. Separate the cow so you can watch her intake, and record what you observed and when. Your vet will confirm the diagnosis and discuss the options, which can include surgery or other procedures, depending on the type of displacement, the cow and the herd.
Aftercare matters too. Ask your vet how to monitor feed intake, what to do if the cow slows down again and how long she should be kept on watch. Treated cow milk and meat must be kept out of the food supply for the withdrawal time on the label or set by your vet.
Records and questions for your vet
Track every case by date, days in milk, other diseases and outcome. If several cows in the same calving group are affected, that points toward a ration, comfort or feeding management problem rather than bad luck.
- How many cases did we have in the last year, and when after calving?
- Were the affected cows fat, thin or lame?
- Is our fresh ration meeting fiber goals?
- Is bunk space enough in the close-up and fresh pens?
- What is our follow-up plan after a procedure?
Common mistakes
Waiting a few days to see if appetite returns, using old leftovers instead of calling the vet, and ignoring the underlying problem are the mistakes that show up again and again. A cow that recovers from surgery but still has an untreated fresh disease will keep slipping.
Sources and further reading
- American Association of Bovine Practitioners
- University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension
- Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY
- University of Minnesota Extension
Organization homepages are linked so you can search them for current guidance on this topic.