Introduction

• Cause: the most common endocardial disease seen in cattle is bacterial endocarditis, mainly caused by Trueperella pyogenes or Streptococci.
• Signs: often recurrent pyrexia, ill thrift, anorexia, reduced body condition score relative to cohort animals, reduced milk yield, tachycardia, a cardiac murmur and /or thrill over the affected valvular region.
• Diagnosis: see below.
• Treatment:
  • Long term bactericidal antimicrobials based on culture and sensitivity results.
  • Furosemide Furosemide.
  • In most instances, culling will be the most appropriate course of action.
• Prognosis:
  • Poor.
  • Recurrence is likely.
  • Long term survival for more than 6 months is guarded.

Pathogenesis

Etiology

• The most common endocardial disease seen in cattle is bacterial endocarditis mainly caused by Trueperella pyogenes Trueperella pyogenes or Streptococci Streptococci.
• Lesions are normally vegetative in nature and confined to the valvular endocardium but may also be found in the mural endocardium. See related images.
• In cattle, bacterial endocarditis most commonly affects the tricuspid valve but has been reported in the mitral, aortic and pulmonic valves as well.

Predisposing factors

General

• Chronic bacteremia.

Specific

• Vegetative endocarditis occurs secondary to another disease process such as Metritis Metritis, mastitis, foot abscess, Traumatic reticular peritonitis Traumatic reticular peritonitis or a long term indwelling Catheter Catheter.

Pathophysiology

• Acquired endocardial disease is usually insidious in onset before cardiac changes occur which may result in congestive heart failure.
• Eventually valvular incompetence leads to volume overload of the recipient chamber, an increased end diastolic pressure, decreased contractile function and a further increase in end diastolic pressure.
• In left sided lesions involving the mitral or aortic valves this leads to increased left atrial pressure and therefore an increased pulmonary venous hypertension.  
• In tricuspid lesions, right atrial pressure and central venous pressure increases.

Timecourse

• Endocarditis is insidious in onset so clinical signs may not be seen until the congestive heart failure occurs.

Diagnosis

Treatment

Prevention

Outcomes