Sepsis in adult cattle
Abstract
Sepsis is caused by an overwhelming inflammatory response to a pathogen, often bacteria, that leads to shock and then death if left untreated. Cattle on high energy diets appear to be predisposed as the majority of infections stem from the gastrointestinal tract. It has not been established why some animals become septic and others do not although tolerance occurs if a cow is exposed to endotoxin in sublethal doses, either repeatedly or continuously, for a period of time. There is no defined framework to use out in the field when trying to diagnose the disease, with repeated clinical assessments often needed to detect deterioration of a case and ensure medical interventions are timely. The aims of treatment are to restore the circulatory volume, remove the infection and to dampen down the inflammatory response.
Sepsis can lead to the death of an animal if undiagnosed or insufficiently treated. Recording of cases that die as a result of known sepsis out in the field is limited because of a lack of diagnosis as there is a lack of a defined criteria on how to define the disease. One retrospective study by Faridon et al (2021) found that 38.6% of large ruminants submitted to the Post-Mortem Laboratory, University Putra Malaysia died as a result of sepsis. Reading around the subject area, it appears that whether an animal develops sepsis is determined by the individual rather than the cause or site of the infection.
It is vital for the veterinary surgeon to recognise the clinical signs of sepsis, if possible, and pre-empt the effects of an infection if the animal is to survive. Treatment is time costly and by no means successful, something clients need to be aware of as euthanasia may be appropriate if proper treatment is not attempted. There is no set treatment for septicaemia, with the aims being to dampen down the immune response, support the circulatory system, and to remove the infection that has triggered this response. Supportive care is essential and farm staff must be aware of the signs of deterioration of a case, and when they need to call the veterinary surgeon, so that further treatment options or euthanasia can be advised.
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