Hydrocephalus

[uluru]

I had a first calf heifer dump her calf yesterday and before the Farm Mgr. found the calf last nite the coyotes has got to some of the entrals.
We sent some off for testing.
The vet said based on the description of the extended forehead, etc.that it sounded like hydrocephalus.
Is this hereditory? What causes it?
The calf had all its teeth so it was well along. I believe the heifer was due late this month

DL help.

 

[dori36]

I had a first calf heifer dump her calf yesterday and before the Farm Mgr. found the calf last nite the coyotes has got to some of the entrals.
We sent some off for testing.
The vet said based on the description of the extended forehead, etc.that it sounded like hydrocephalus.
Is this hereditory? What causes it?
The calf had all its teeth so it was well along. I believe the heifer was due late this month

DL help.

So sorry about the loss.  Just curious if the rest of the calf, legs etc., were in proper proportion and well formed?  What breed was it?  Thinking of the possibility of dwarfism with the head shape.

 

[uluru]

Purebred Shorthorn out of an expensive heifer.
As far as I know the rest of the calf was OK
We initially were concerned about PHA but don't think so as pedigree is clean
I personally did not see the calf.

We will wait to see what the tests results indicate.

Thanks for you kind words.

Bob

 

[DL]

Bob - sorry about your calf - I don't know a lot about hydrocephalus but here is what I do know and I'll skulk around and see what else I can find out

It is aka "water on the brain" - basically the cerebral spinal fluid doesn't drain right and the pressure in the brain builds up and the brain (if the calf or human or dog etc) lives the brain can get squished

In cattle it can be either genetic or "acquired"
known to be inherited in Hereford, Holstein, Aryshire and Jersey cattle
Inherited combined with (as dori suggested dwarfism - achondroplasia
Inherited in white Shorthorn cattle combined with some other defects (hydrocephalus, little eyes and retinal problems)
Can be caused by different viruses and vitamin A deficiency may contribute

testing the calf is a real good thing to do - was she a white heifer? keep us posted, if I learn more (or remember more) I'll let you know, DL

 

[shortyisqueen]

DL, Why a white heifer as opposed to a red or roan heifer? Is this a color-gene linked condition? And since you said a heifer, is it also a sex-linked gene like a calico cat?

 

[uluru]

Thanks DL
She is a pure red heifer.
Very healthy
I have two others just like her from the same sire. Not embryos, different dams.
So far they are OK and well in calf
All three are bred to same sire
I will advise of test results.

 

[DL]

A while back there was a veterinarian by the name of Horst Leipold who was basically the guru of genetic defects in cattle. I have heard from a reliable source that he drove around the country in a refrigerated truck picking up calves with defects from across the US and Canada. Now it could be a rural legend but he has a huge number of publications on defects in cattle and is probably the King when it came to defects. Unfortunately when he died all his data (legend has it) disappeared. We owe him a lot, for much of our understanding of genetic defects in cattle is based on his vast body of work - basically before DNA (well of course there was DNA, we just didn't know anything about it)>

He published a paper in 1974 in the Canadian Vet Journal describing hydrocephalus, small eyes and retinal defects in a white shorthorn heifer (from Saskatchewan). I have discovered that many things in the vet literature - things that we currently believe - are in reality based on one case or something that we might question today. So the point of this is that I don't know (but I will try to find out) if hydrocephalus is associated with white critters or if this case just happened to be repeatedly mentioned.

So my guess would be that if we have a known genetic defect in 4 breeds of cattle there is no reason to believe it couldn't occur in other breeds. Bob - you might want to have them save the ear (or part of it) if there is any question about PHA....if the chest cavity is preserved and the lungs are tiny I sure would save a chunk of ear....

 

[kanshow]

DL - Do you mean Dr. Horst Leipold of Kansas State University?  That was his his area of expertise as well and he was a  legend.  He passed away several years ago, but was still very active in research when I was attending school.  I knew some of his student workers.  They did drive all over picking up those animals. Most of the miles they logged were put on an old Dodge pickup - Gov't issue.  Some the animals were alive and some of course were not.    I believe most of his work was cattle but he also did quite a bit  in sheep too.  He had a little area on the hill that the students of my era called the 'freak farm'.  I was never personally there - and can't say I know too many who were allowed on it, but rumor had it that there were some very unusual genetic/congenital abnormalities there. 

 

[DL]

DL - Do you mean Dr. Horst Leipold of Kansas State University?  That was his his area of expertise as well and he was a  legend.  He passed away several years ago, but was still very active in research when I was attending school.  I knew some of his student workers.  They did drive all over picking up those animals. Most of the miles they logged were put on an old Dodge pickup - Gov't issue.  Some the animals were alive and some of course were not.    I believe most of his work was cattle but he also did quite a bit  in sheep too.  He had a little area on the hill that the students of my era called the 'freak farm'.  I was never personally there - and can't say I know too many who were allowed on it, but rumor had it that there were some very unusual genetic/congenital abnormalities there. 

Yup kanshow your are correct - it is Horst not Hans (was I thinking of Hans Christian Andersen??) of K State - I believe he was at Western College of Vet Med in Saskatoon before going to Kansas. Glad to have my reality confirmed - thanks

 

[uluru]

Got the ear test results back from the Vet
Negative for BVD
That is all they could tell.
Going to get the heifer tested for TH and PHA even though there is
none in her pedigree.
Not taking any chances
Will get all three that I bought from this breeder tested.
I don't expect any problems but better safe than sorry.

Thanks for all your inputs.

 

[DL]

Got the ear test results back from the Vet
Negative for BVD
That is all they could tell.
Going to get the heifer tested for TH and PHA even though there is
none in her pedigree.
Not taking any chances
Will get all three that I bought from this breeder tested.
I don't expect any problems but better safe than sorry.

Thanks for all your inputs.

Good luck and thanks for the update