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Abomasal displacement
The abomasum is the fourth compartment of the bovine stomach, the only one that digests like a classic stomach. It normally occupies the floor of the abdomen, to the right and below. When it fills with gas and its wall becomes sluggish, it...
What is it?
The abomasum is the fourth compartment of the bovine stomach, the only one that digests like a classic stomach. It normally occupies the floor of the abdomen, to the right and below.
When it fills with gas and its wall becomes sluggish, it rises and slides along the wall of the stomach, most often to the left, between the rumen and the ribs. It then finds itself pinched, no longer empties and the animal stops eating properly.
More rarely, the abomasum moves to the right and can twist on itself: blood circulation is then cut off and the situation becomes a surgical emergency.
Key point
A shift to the right with twisting is a surgical emergency: the animal deteriorates within a few hours. Any freshly calved cow that stops eating should be examined promptly.
Commonly observed signs
These signs are neither exhaustive nor specific. Only a veterinarian can establish a diagnosis.
Related signs — each one links to its page:
Marked drop in milk production in a freshly calved cow.
Selective appetite: the cow refuses concentrates, nibbles roughage, then eats less and less.
Rapid weight loss, hollow sides, loss of condition over a few days.
Dung rare, pasty, dark, sometimes blackish.
Moderate depression at first: the cow remains standing, does not seem very ill, which often delays the call to the veterinarian.
In moving to the right with twisting, the picture changes completely: clear pain, kicks towards the stomach, distended stomach on the right, rapid dehydration, heart that beats very quickly, animal that lies down and deteriorates within a few hours.
The veterinarian looks for a very particular metallic noise by tapping the side while listening with a stethoscope: this is the sign that confirms the diagnosis.
When to consult without delay
This list does not replace veterinary advice. It gathers situations that justify a prompt consultation.
Causes and risk factors
A drop in intake after calving leaves the rumen less full: the abomasum then has room to slide.
Rations rich in concentrates and low in fiber produce gases in the abomasum which make it float.
The relaxation of the wall of the abomasum, favored by the lack of calcium and by the metabolic disorders of the beginning of lactation, prevents it from emptying.
Any postpartum illness that suppresses the appetite sets the stage: ketosis, milk fever, mastitis, infection of the uterus, retained placenta, lameness.
The space freed up in the abdomen after the calf emerges contributes to the phenomenon during the first weeks.
First month after calving, period when almost all cases occur.
High producing cows and multiparous cows.
Sudden dietary transition between drying up and lactation, concentrates increased too quickly.
Ration too finely chopped, lack of long fibers, sorting at the trough.
Cows that are too fat at calving, which eat little afterwards.
History of milk fever, ketosis, twins or difficult calving.
Overloaded building, insufficient trough, batch changes at calving time.
Diagnosis and care
Diagnosis is the veterinarian's responsibility, based on clinical examination and laboratory tests. Care is decided case by case.
The veterinarian examines the cow as a whole: body condition, hydration, temperature, heart, udder, uterus, feet, because the displacement of the abomasum is rarely alone.
The diagnosis is based on auscultation combined with percussion of the flanks, looking for the characteristic metallic noise, on the left or right.
A ketone body test is almost systematic, as the association with ketosis is common.
A blood test assesses general condition, dehydration and mineral imbalances, especially if torsion is suspected.
Exploration of the abdomen may be necessary to decide between several causes of distended abdomen on the right.
Treatment
The correction is surgical in the vast majority of cases and must be carried out by the veterinarian.
Several techniques exist: flank intervention under local anesthesia, on a standing animal, or fixation of the abomasum after rolling the cow onto its back. The choice depends on the side of the movement, the condition of the animal and the habits of the practitioner.
The principle is always the same: put the abomasum back in its place and secure it so that it does not come back.
A shift to the right with twisting requires emergency intervention: the wall of the organ is quickly damaged and the prognosis deteriorates hour by hour.
Treatment of ketosis and any associated illness is an integral part of care, otherwise the cow will not move on.
After the operation, the return to food is gradual, with good quality fodder, clean water, a quiet box and daily monitoring of appetite and droppings.
Strictly respect the waiting times for medications administered during and after the procedure.
Treatment depends on the cause and the animal's condition: it must be determined by a veterinarian. No self-medication.
Prevention
Prevention is the same as that of ketosis: it depends on the food transition and on ingestion after calving.
Maintain a well-filled rumen: unlimited quality fodder, sufficient quantity of long fiber, ration that does not sort.
Increase concentrates gradually after calving, never all at once.
Arrive at calving with cows in good condition, neither fat nor thin, who will continue to eat around birth.
Prevent milk fever by appropriate drying management: calcium makes the wall of the abomasum work as it makes the other muscles work.
Treat mastitis, metritis and lameness at the start of lactation without delay, because any illness that reduces the appetite opens the door to displacement.
Monitor freshly calved cows individually: a drop in appetite and milk over two days should trigger a call, not a wait.
If several cases occur in the same period, it is the transition ration that must be reviewed, not bad luck that must be invoked.
Possible complications
Worsening towards torsion, with damage to circulation, state of shock and risk to life.
Ulcers in the abomasum wall, which may bleed or perforate and cause peritonitis.
Severe ketosis and overload of the liver with fats, due to prolonged cessation of food.
Peritonitis or wall abscess after surgery, rare but possible complication.
Recurrence, especially if the fixation has not held or if the dietary cause has not been corrected.
Loss of production throughout lactation and delay in resumption of reproduction.
When to see a veterinarian
A freshly calved cow refuses concentrates and its production drops over one or two days.
She loses weight quickly, her droppings become rare, pasty and dark.
She eats hay but remains indifferent to the rest of the ration.
Her right side becomes distended, she kicks towards her stomach and her condition deteriorates in a few hours: it is a surgical emergency.
She was treated for ketosis and is not going back.
Several cows from the freshly calved group present the same picture.
Prognosis
A shift to the left carried out quickly in a cow still in good condition recovers in the vast majority of cases, with a resumption of appetite within a few days and a gradual return to production.
Current lactation production often remains lower than it should have been.
Displacement to the right with torsion is much more serious: the prognosis depends on the time before the intervention and the condition of the wall of the organ.
Cows that combine displacement, severe ketosis and uterine infection recover more slowly and are more often culled.
Frequently asked questions
Can we avoid the operation?
Rarely. Rolling alone sometimes puts the abomasum back in place, but without fixation it very often returns. Surgical correction remains the most reliable solution, and it is commonly performed on the animal standing, under local anesthesia.
Why does this always happen after calving?
Because three conditions come together at that moment: the space left by the calf in the abdomen, a rumen less full due to the drop in appetite, and a sluggish abomasum due to the metabolic disorders at the start of lactation.
Will the cow be able to return to normal lactation?
Yes in most cases, if the intervention took place early and the associated ketosis was treated. The current lactation often remains behind, but the next one can be normal.
I have several cases this year, is it a coincidence?
No. A series of abomasum shifts almost always signals a feed transition problem: concentrates raised too quickly, lack of effective fiber, cows too fat at calving or too many postpartum illnesses. It is the ration and behavior that must be reviewed with your veterinarian.
References
FAO — Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture
Content reviewed by the TunisieVet editorial team · Updated 09 August 2026
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