Sudden deaths in yearling feedlot cattle.
A survey of the causes for fatal diseases of yearling feedlot cattle was conducted on more than 407,000 cattle during a 14-month period. Of the 4,260 (1%) cattle that died during this period, 1,358 (32%) were categorized as cases of "sudden death syndrome." Of the 11 most frequent causes of the syndrome, as determined at necropsy, only 4--bloat, pulmonary aneurysms, riding injury, and hemopericardium--were considered as short-course problems and true causes of sudden death. The largest number of cases of sudden death were attributed to pneumonia (113 animals). Consequently, the sudden death syndrome is a misnomer for many long-course diseases and, in some instances, a mask for neglect because, as clinically used, the name frequently includes cattle that have been sick, often with pneumonia, for several days.
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control; D003013:Clostridium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary; D003120:Colorado; D003645:Death, Sudden; D014611:Vaccination / Q000662:veterinary