Abstract
The objective of this report was to describe the clinical and laboratory findings in an eight-month-old Holstein crossbred cow diagnosed with flying scapula. During anamnesis, the owner informed that the cow was placed in a pasture with other animals of different age groups. Three days after the environment change, he noticed the animal showed abnormal position of the scapulae, reduced appetite, and apathy. He suspected another animal had tried to mount it. The owner also reported it had never happened on his property. Clinical examination revealed difficulty in getting up and reluctance to move. The scapulae seemed to be loose (flying scapula) in a level above the thoracic vertebrae, with noticeable deepening of the rib cage between the front limbs. Laboratory tests showed hypoproteinaemia (5.2 g/dL), selenium values below normal (0.0094 μmol/L), elevated serum creatine kinase (CK) activity (898 U/L), and normal vitamin E levels (7.8 μg/ml) for the species. These findings confirm the diagnosis of flying scapula, having as a triggering factor the trauma associated with selenium deficiency.
Published Version
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