Research Summary - 4
Association of visual heart score in cattle at harvest with lung deflation score and heart histopathology
| Date/Time: |
9/13/2025
15:45
|
| Author: |
Makenna J Jensen |
| Clinic: |
Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute |
| City, State, ZIP: |
Manhattan, KS 66506 |
Makenna J. Jensen, DVM
1
;
Brad J. White, DVM, MS
1
;
Robert L. Larson, DVM, PhD
1
;
Phillip A. Lancaster, PhD
1
;
Todd G. Gunderson, DVM, MS
1
;
Brandon L. Plattner, DVM, PhD
2
;
Randall C. Raymond, DVM
3
;
Justin W. Buchanan, PhD
3
;
1Beef Cattle Institute, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506
2Kansas Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506
3Simplot Livestock Company, Boise, Idaho 83707
Introduction:
Changes in cardiac structure are often observed in cattle at harvest, but little has been done correlating gross heart changes, pulmonary disease, and microscopic cardiopulmonary architecture. The objective was to determine associations between visual heart scores (HS), lung deflation scores, and histopathology of hearts, lungs, and livers in feedyard cattle at harvest.
Materials and methods:
Samples were collected from a cross-section of healthy cattle (n=103), categorized into 5 HS (1 = normal; 5= severely abnormal) identified as they became available at harvest. All cases received a gross pulmonary deflation score (range: normal to severe failure to deflate), and histologic samples were collected from 4 cardiac regions. Pulmonary data and HS were categorized as normal (HS 1,2; lung normal) or abnormal (HS 3,4,5; lung: any failure to deflate). The presence and severity of cardiac histopathology were scored absent/mild (1,2) or moderate/severe (3,4). A generalized linear model was used to evaluate associations between HS and abnormal lung deflation, and between HS and presence and severity of cardiac histopathology (fibrosis, necrosis).
Results:
After exclusions, 98 cases were available for analysis. Cattle with lungs failing to deflate had a greater (P<0.01) probability of an abnormal HS (0.78±0.07) compared to cattle with lungs that deflated (0.49±0.06). No significant associations were identified between gross HS and fibrosis (P=0.26) or heart necrosis (P=0.99).
Significance:
This study found that cattle with lungs that failed to deflate were more likely to have an abnormal HS; further work should be done to elucidate differences in HS based on histologic lesions.
