Chronic udder oedema: Clinical aspects of the syndrome and its connection with hypomagnesaemia and anaemia

Abstract

Extract

Chronic udder oedema (C.U.O.), also known as “leatherbag”, “rubber bag” and “caked udder”, is a disease of dairy cows occurring in a number of areas in the North Island. The condition has been observed to be associated with hypomagnesaemia and a fading syndrome involving anaemia (J. Ker and D. Cordes, pers. comm.). This syndrome, also known as “Taranaki anaemia”, is described herein as Spring Anaemia (S.A.). No mention of these diseases in veterinary literature has been found. For this reason, clinical aspects of C.U.O. and S.A. as they occur within a 30 km radius of Eltham, Taranaki, are described and discussed. Results are presented of a survey undertaken in the same area to determine the association of C.U.O. with hypomagnesaemia and anaemia.