Oral and Poster Abstracts

diagnosis and possible treatments. Bursitis can be true when
inflammation develops in congenital bursae and acquired when
affects subcutaneous bursae. Subcutaneous bursitis is a common
condition seen in buffaloes and cattle. The present study was carried
out on 166 buffaloes and cattle affected with different forms of
subcutaneous bursitis. All cases were examined during periodical
visits to veterinary clinics of 168 villages belong to 14 provinces in
Egypt during the period from 1994 to 2007. Species, sex, age and
clinical signs for each case were recorded. Exploratory puncture was
preformed for confirmation of diagnosis. Medical treatment was
advised for cases of precarpal bursitis in standing position while
surgical excision was recommended for peristernal and olecranon
bursitis in recumbent position. Results revealed that olecranon
bursitis was diagnosed in 63 buffaloes and 3 cattle. All animals were
female adult at age group between 2-13 years. In the contrary,
precarpal bursitis was recorded in 24 cattle and 6 buffaloes. All were
adult female animals with age group ranged between 2-9 years.
Presternal bursitis was diagnosed in 60 buffalo calves and 10 cattle
calves and affected male more than females. All were young calves
of age group between 2 months up to two years. The clinical signs of
subcutaneous bursitis in all forms were highly diagnostic and
exploratory puncture was highly confirmative. Surgery appeared to
be the ideal treatment for cases of presternal and olecranon bursitis
while medical treatment of precarpal bursitis by evacuation of the
contents and several injections of anti- inflammatory drugs were
more practical. In conclusion we can state that three forms of
subcutaneous bursitis were diagnosed in buffaloes and cattle
namely; olecranon, presternal, and precarbal. Subcutaneous bursitis
can be corrected medically and surgically with encouraging results.
972 Effect of Caustic Paste Disbudding on Cortisol and Behaviour
of Dairy Calves Treated with Regional Anaesthetic
G. Stilwell1 , R. Campos de Carvalho2 , M. Lima1 , D. Broom3 1 Faculdade de Medicina Veterinaria-Universidade Tecnica, Centro
de Investigaçio Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal (CIISA),
Lisboa, Portugal
2 VetMondego, Departamento de Clinica, Montemor-o-velho,
Portugal
3 University of Cambridge, Centre for Animal Welfare and
Anthrozoology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Caustic paste (sodium and calcium hydroxide) is a disbudding
method frequently used on young dairy female calves. Very few
studies have looked at the pain caused by chemical burns in cattle.
The present study used plasma cortisol and four pain-related
behaviours (head shaking, ear flicking, head rubbing, transition from
lying) to assess pain for the first 50 minutes after caustic paste
disbudding. Regional anaesthesia was done on the cornual nerve
mid-way between eye and base of horn bud. Thirty five female
Holstein calves (mean age 22 ± 4 days) were randomly allocated to
four groups: 1) PD Caustic paste disbudded 5 min. after saline
injection (n=7); 2) PDA Paste disbudded 5 min. after 2% lidocaine
injection (n=10); 3) PDAF Paste disbudded 5 minutes after iv
injection of 3 ml of flunixin-meglumine (1.4 mg/Kg) and 2%
lidocaine (n=10); 4) SD: sham disbudded 5 min. after saline
injection (n=8). Blood was collected at 5 min. before (base-line
values) and 10, 30 and 50 minutes after disbudding. Behaviour was
recorded for 10 min periods, just before each blood sampling. At 30
and 50 minutes after disbudding the PD group showed a higher
cortisol level compared to base-line (p=0.028) and to all other
groups (p