PREVALENCE AND ETIOLOGY OF OMASAL AND ABOMASAL IMPACTION IN BUFFALOES AND CATTLE: A NECROPSY STUDY

The present study was conducted on 76 buffaloes and 71 cattles carcasses. The carcasses were examined to know the cause of the death, and the omasum and abomasum were thoroughly examined for impactions. It was possible to divide the impactions into two categories- related to the diet and associated with other diseases. The overall prevalence of omasal impaction and abomasal impaction was 29.2% and 8.2%, respectively. Both primary omasal impaction and abomasal impactions were associated with wheat straw. The overall prevalence of omasal impaction was significantly (P<0.05) higher in buffaloes than cattle but did not differ significantly (P<0.05) between different age groups. The prevalence of abomasal impaction did not differ significantly (P<0.05) between cattle and buffaloes. Both omasal and abomasal impaction were mostly secondary to other diseases. The common causes of secondary omasal impaction were traumatic reticuloperitonitis/pericarditis, intestinal obstruction, peritonitis and theleriosis. The common causes of abomasal impaction were traumatic reticuloperitonitis/pericarditis and abomasal ulceration. The present established causes of secondary omasal impaction are a new finding and an addition to current knowledge on omasal impaction. This study suggests predisposition of buffaloes to omasal impaction.