Three cases of rare liver disease reported
The cause of the condition has not yet been established, though it is thought to have a genetic origin.
Post-mortems have identified three cases of hepatic lipodystrophy - a rarely reported disease of Galloway cows in the UK.
The cases were identified as part of a 12-month post-mortem examination project carried out at a fallen stock collection centre in County Durham.
According to findings reported in Vet Record letters (Vol 177 No 10), two suspected cases were identified in summer 2014.
The two-month-old, male blue-grey calves were from a 50-cow Galloway herd. The first died within four days of presentation, having shown recumbency, tenesmus, halitosis and congested sclera.
The second calf, which was presented at the same time with ataxia, malaise and scleral congestion, died three weeks later.
In spring 2015, a third calf was diagnosed with the disease. This time the calf was a three-week-old pure-bred Galloway from a 12-cow herd. Having shown non-specific signs of malaise, the animal was submitted for post-mortem.
Writing in Vet Record, authors said the hepatic changes seen in these cases were consistent with those previously reported in hepatic lipodystrophy cases. However, they noted it is unusual that two of the three calves were not pure Galloways.
It is thought the small number of reported cases in the UK could be down to the lack of specific clinical signs, the likely sporadic nature of the disease (as only small numbers in a herd tend to be affected) and the expense and availability of post-mortem examinations in the upland area of the country.
The project, sponsored by EBLEX, was carried out to make post-mortems more affordable and accessible to farmers. Authors say this approach may increase the sensitivity of surveillance for uncommon diseases such as this.
The cause of the condition has not yet been established, though it is thought to have a genetic origin. The authors said there is a need to further characterise the condition to establish its cause and pathogenesis.
The team are keen to identify further cases and collect DNA samples and clinical information. They also plan to collaborate with those involved with similar diseases in human medicine, in order to apply knowledge of human lipodystrophies and other errors of the lipid system, to veterinary cases.
They are urging vets or others who have seen suspected cases to get in touch. As well as further post-mortem samples, they particularly hope to gain samples from live suspect cases (i.e. freshly frozen plasma and serum, EDTA blood and saliva samples for DNA extraction - kits are provided).
To get in touch, contact Alwyn Jones or George Caldow at Scotland's Rural College (SRUC): 01835 822456; alwyn.jones@sac.co.uk or george.caldow@sac.co.uk
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
