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Vetdle Archive

Archive Case #145: Bovine Abomasal Ulcer

Cattle veterinary case - Medium - July 26, 2026

Clinical Clues

  1. A dairy cow is examined for reduced appetite, melena, and declining milk production.
  2. The owner reports the faeces have become dark and tarry.
  3. The cow is mildly tachycardic and appears uncomfortable in the cranial abdomen.
  4. Bloodwork reveals anaemia and hypoproteinaemia.
  5. The lesion is localised to the true stomach rather than the forestomachs.
  6. Abomasal ulceration in cattle can cause chronic blood loss, pain, or sudden perforation.

Diagnosis

Bovine Abomasal Ulcer

This case is most consistent with Bovine Abomasal Ulcer because the cow has melena, anaemia, and true-stomach disease localised to the abomasum. The most important clues are the dark feces and blood loss pattern, which make a simple displaced abomasum less likely.

Learning review

Review the case evidence

Use the paired clues to explain how the evidence in this cattle case supports the provided diagnosis, Bovine Abomasal Ulcer, then compare your reasoning with the case explanation.

Evidence checkpoints

Clues 1-2

  1. Clue 1: A dairy cow is examined for reduced appetite, melena, and declining milk production.
  2. Clue 2: The owner reports the faeces have become dark and tarry.

Clues 3-4

  1. Clue 3: The cow is mildly tachycardic and appears uncomfortable in the cranial abdomen.
  2. Clue 4: Bloodwork reveals anaemia and hypoproteinaemia.

Clues 5-6

  1. Clue 5: The lesion is localised to the true stomach rather than the forestomachs.
  2. Clue 6: Abomasal ulceration in cattle can cause chronic blood loss, pain, or sudden perforation.

Self-review prompts

  1. After clues 1-2, what evidence from this cattle case shaped your initial interpretation?
  2. When you compare clues 3-4 with clues 1-2, what changed in your reasoning about Bovine Abomasal Ulcer?
  3. How do clues 5-6 align with the case explanation for Bovine Abomasal Ulcer?

Educational Use

Vetdle archive cases are educational veterinary games for diagnostic reasoning practice. They do not provide veterinary advice, diagnosis, treatment, or professional medical guidance.