Omphalocele in aborted and full-term dairy calves: A case series

This case series describes the occurrence of omphalocele in 19 calves (8 aborted fetuses, 11 dead perinates) on 8 Irish dairy farms. Sixteen cases were recorded on 6 research farms monitored over a 9-yr period (1985 to 1993), representing 6.90, 1.45 and 0.10% of 116 aborted fetuses, 553 dead perinates and 7,751 full-term calves, respectively. Three cases in perinates were recorded on 2 out of 31 commerical dairy farms monitored in 1991, representing 1.76 and 0.11% of 170 dead perinates and 2,631 full-term calves, respectively. Eleven calves had an enterocele, 5 had a partial abomasocele and 3 had multiple organ eventration. Affected calves (13 singletons and 6 twins) were sired by 15 bulls (14 artificial breeding, 1 natural breeding) of 3 breeds (Holstein - Friesian, Hereford and Simmental). The dams (14 pluriparae and 4 primiparae) were all Holstein-Friesian. The aetiology of this congenital defect was not determined.