Development of ovarian diseases in dairy cows with a history of fatty liver, and their prognosis

In the present report, the incidence and prognosis of ovarian diseases were evaluated in correlation to the grades of the fatty livers (FL). 233 animals were diagnosed with a FL, based on fat deposition of >10% into the hepatic parenchyma obtained from liver biopsy, and were eventually cured of the FL. These 233 animals were classified into mild group (n=99: hepatic fat deposition rates ranging from 10 to <30%), moderate group (n=56: hepatic fat deposition rates ranging from 30 to <60%) and severe group (n=78: hepatic fat deposition rates of >60%). The incidence of ovarian diseases and the culling rate were, respectively, 40.0% and 10.0% in mild group, 58.3% and 37.5% in moderate group, and 84.9% and 69.7% in severe group. The incidence of ovarian diseases and the culling rates in severe group were significantly (P<0.05) higher than those in mild and moderate groups. It was, therefore, concluded that the elevated incidence of ovarian disease and culling rates tend to be dependent on the higher severity scores of the fat deposition rates in dairy cows with FL and that cases with severe FL, with a fat deposition rate of 60% or higher, were greatly associated with death and culling.