Watts A S, Tulley W J
Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
N Z Vet J. 2013 Mar;61(2):111-4. doi: 10.1080/00480169.2012.717504. Epub 2012 Sep 18.
A 10-year-old Friesian dairy cow presented with a history of weight loss, decreased milk production and fluid splashing on auscultation of the heart. Previous antibiotic therapy included oxytetracycline, marbofloxacin and penicillin.
Following a failure to respond to treatment, prescribed by the referring veterinarian for respiratory infection and septic arthritis, the cow was referred to Massey University Veterinary Teaching Hospital with suspected pericarditis. Clinical examination identified a predominantly left sided holodiastolic heart murmur with tachycardia and cording of the jugular veins. Cardiac ultrasound showed an enlarged aortic valve with turbulent blood flow and regurgitation, consistent with bacterial endocarditis. Blood culture demonstrated Paenibacillus spp. Due to the severity of the clinical signs and poor prognosis, euthanasia was performed and a post-mortem examination carried out.
Traumatic reticuloperitonitis with abscessation of the reticulum and rumen wall, which progressed to a bacteraemia and presumptively caused endocarditis, endometritis, septic arthritis, and renal and myocardial infarcts due to emboli from the endocarditis lesions.
New Zealand dairy cattle are at risk of traumatic reticuloperitonitis and due to varying presentations diagnosis can be complicated. Subsequent bacteraemia is common and in this case the novel bacterial species Paenibacillus was implicated as a potential pathogen.
一头10岁的弗里斯兰奶牛，有体重减轻、产奶量下降以及心脏听诊时有液体溅泼声的病史。先前的抗生素治疗包括土霉素、马波沙星和青霉素。
在对转诊兽医针对呼吸道感染和化脓性关节炎所开的治疗方案无反应后，这头奶牛被转诊至梅西大学兽医教学医院，怀疑患有心包炎。临床检查发现主要为左侧全舒张期心脏杂音，伴有心动过速和颈静脉索状变。心脏超声显示主动脉瓣增大，有血流紊乱和反流，符合细菌性心内膜炎。血培养显示为芽孢杆菌属。由于临床症状严重且预后不良，实施了安乐死并进行了尸检。
创伤性网胃炎伴网胃和瘤胃壁脓肿形成，进而发展为菌血症，并推测因心内膜炎病变的栓子导致了心内膜炎、子宫内膜炎、化脓性关节炎以及肾和心肌梗死。
新西兰奶牛有患创伤性网胃炎的风险，且由于表现各异，诊断可能很复杂。随后发生菌血症很常见，在本病例中，新的细菌物种芽孢杆菌被认为是潜在病原体。
