Economic comparison of the pyloro-omentopexy vs the roll-and-toggle procedure for treatment of left displacement of the abomasum in dairy cattle.

Seventy-two lactating dairy cows with left displacement of the abomasum were blindly assigned to treatment by use of the roll-and-toggle procedure or right paralumbar fossa pyloro-omentopexy. All cows were from the same large dairy herd, and survival in the herd and daily milk production were measured for 120 days after treatment. The mean cost was $256.50 for roll-and-toggle cases ($50 for the procedure, $95.70 in milk loss and $110.80 in livestock losses). The mean cost was $406.40 for the pyloro-omentopexy cases ($150 for the procedure, $87.80 in milk loss, and $168.60 in livestock losses). A possible interaction with metritis was discovered, in that pyloro-omentopexy cases cost about $100 more than roll-and-toggle cases when metritis was absent (31 cases) or moderate (32 cases), and cost several times more when metritis was severe (9 cases). Results of the study were in agreement with those of other studies that indicated that the closed repositioning and stabilization techniques are generally less expensive and have comparable results with open repositioning and stabilization techniques. Veterinarians may wish to consider use of this nonsurgical technique for the routine correction of left displacement of the abomasum in dairy cattle.