• Definition:
  • Oophoritis = inflammation of ovary and surrounding structures.
  • Ovarian abscessation = pus-filled ovary with or without a capsule.
• Cause: infection ascending from uterus/uterine tube, abscess associated with generalized pyemia (tuberculosis, Brucella), peritonitis, enucleation of corpus luteum on palpation.
• Signs: anestrus (although animal may still cycle normally), enlarged ovary.
• Diagnosis: rectal palpation, transrectal ultrasound.
• Treatment: unilateral ovariectomy.
• Prognosis: good survival and return to fertility. Poor prognosis for future fertility if no treatment instigated.

• Sometimes, no overt signs are shown.
• Failure to come into heat post-partum Estrus: the cow not observed in estrus.
• Enlarged ovary Rectal examination.

• No known predisposition but, in one study, it was found exclusively in cows rather than heifers.

• No known predisposition but both studies found it in dairy cattle (Holstein Holstein and Jersey Jersey).

• Only if caused by tuberculosis Tuberculosis or Brucella Brucellosis.

• Surgical costs: will remain fertile with unilateral ovariectomy so can be justified in young animal.

• Surgery performed under standing local anesthetic.

• Most commonly caused by ascending infection:
  • Metritis Uterine infection: overview.
  • Salpingitis.

General

• Dystocia Dystocia/retained fetal membranes Retained fetal membranes: removal leading to metritis.
• Systemic infection Systemic inflammatory response syndrome resulting in generalized pyemia Pyemia.

• Can be diagnosed as an incidental finding.

• Rare.
• Would be an individual cow issue rather than a herd issue.

Refereed papers

• Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.
• Torabi A, Stock A, Vallejo D et al (2021) Large ovary syndrome in cattle: a retrospective study. Clin Theriogenol 13 (4), 352-359 JCT.
• Zulu C, Mwanza A, Patel O V et al (2000) Ultrasonographic findings of an ovarian abscess in a cow. J Vet Med Sci 62 (7), 757-758 PubMed.

Other sources of information

• Noakes D E, Parkinson T J & England G C W (2018) Veterinary Reproduction and Obstetrics. 10th edn. Elsevier, USA.