By collaborating across specialties, the team at Auburn’s College of Veterinary Medicine was able to find the root cause before there were any more losses in the herd.
Off-the-chart lab results pointing to kidney stress.
And an important detail from the owner: there were oak trees in the pasture.
The cow’s history, diagnostic testing and necropsy findings started to fit together like puzzle pieces.
The 4-year-old Angus-cross cow arrived at Auburn’s J.T.
Vaughn Large Animal Teaching Hospital in early May 2025.
The owner noticed it had stopped eating, and it was no longer able to stand.
Just a week earlier, a bull from the same herd was found dead under nearby oak trees.
Miguel Saucedo-Gonzalez and Dane Schwartz who were both Auburn Vet Med residents at the time, evaluated the cow and found that it was dehydrated and having difficulty breathing.
Bloodwork revealed elevated blood urea nitrogen levels, creatinine concentrations so high the analyzer couldn’t read them and several electrolyte and mineral imbalances — all strong indicators of severe kidney damage.
Now a clinical assistant professor at Iowa State University, Saucedo-Gonzalez talked with the owner about his options.
The report adds to ongoing university-led research relevant to veterinary medicine, animal health, and clinical decision-making.
university website: Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine
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