Ultrasonographic Thicknesses of Ruminal and Abdominal Wall in High Yielding Holstein Dairy Cows

Abstract

Abstract: Ultrasonography has been used as a non invasive method for examination of gastrointestinal tract of cattle. Rumen status and rumen health are importance in high producing dairy herds. In this study the normal values of abdominal and ruminal wall thickness in mid lactation cows were measured and abnormal cases were evaluated with ultrasonography. On ultrasonogram, ruminal wall in all of the cases were constituted by two layers but in some cases such as fluid accumulation or ascite were imaged as three layers. The mean ± standard deviation of abdominal and ruminal wall thickness (two layers) were 17.31 ± 3.08 and 8.01 ± 1.36 milimeters respectively. So, ultrasonographic investigation of left abdomen and their values of the thicknesses could be a part of rumen health evaluation in dairy herds but more researchs should be done for this matter in high producing dairy herds