SUCCESSFUL RUMENOTOMY FOR RETRIEVAL OF AN INGESTED CAR KEY IN DAIRY COW: A CASE REPORT

Abstract

Foreign body ingestion is a common issue in cattle that may lead to serious complications if not managed promptly. A 9-year-old cross-breed jersey dairy cow was presented with suspected ingestion of an automatic car key one week prior to presentation. The cow was clinically normal at presentation, and diagnostic facilities including radiography were unavailable. The tentative diagnosis was based on the owner’s history and automatic unfolding of the car’s side mirrors when the cow approached, indicating proximity to the key. Exploratory rumenotomy was performed under standing sedation with proximal paravertebral nerve block. The key was successfully retrieved from the reticulum without any complications. The cow remained physiologically stable throughout the perioperative period, with uneventful recovery within two weeks. Exploratory rumenotomy proved feasible in resource limited field settings with systemic clinical evaluation. Successful retrieval resulted in uneventful recovery. Vehicle sensor activation based on proximity served as an unconventional field diagnostic indicator.