Abstract: Background – Ultrasonography is a potentially useful chute-side diagnostic tool for hepatic congestion secondary to cardiac remodeling. Cattle with hepatic congestion may be more likely to have poor outcomes. Hypothesis/Objectives – To determine potential associations between risk for retreatment or death with caudal vena cava diameter (CVC), portal vein diameter (PV), hepatic size and echogenicity. Animals – Enrolled feedyard cattle (n = 334) identified with clinical pneumonia. Methods – This cross-sectional observational study evaluated cattle at first or third pneumonia treatment, performing a 60 second trans-abdominal hepatic ultrasound. Measurements of PV, CVC, echogenicity, and hepatic size were conducted post-hoc. Demographic information was recorded at enrollment. After a 60-day observation period, treatments outcomes including risk for retreatment (RTx) and did not finish (DNF) were collected. Results – In cattle at first treatment, hepatic echogenicity was positively associated with increased risk for DNF (p = 0.03) when animals were >42 days into the feeding period; however, cattle < 42 days did not see this association. Hepatic size was positively associated with increased RTx risk when animals were late in the feeding period (p = 0.02). Lastly, risk for retreatment increased concurrently with CVC diameter (p = 0.014). In third treatment animals, no significant associations were identified. Conclusions and Clinical Importance – These results indicate hepatic ultrasound findings are associated with negative treatment outcomes within 60 days of assessment in cattle at first pneumonia treatment. Further evaluation of the usefulness of ultrasonography in feedlot cattle for early diagnosis of cardiac remodeling must be studied.
