Unilateral nephrectomy in 10 cattle

Objective: To describe clinical and imaging findings, treatment, and long‐term outcome of cattle undergoing unilateral nephrectomy. Study Design: Case series. Animals: Cattle (n=10). Methods: Medical records (January 1991–August 2008) of cattle that had unilateral nephrectomy were reviewed. Follow‐up data were obtained by owner telephone interview. Results: Nephrectomy was performed without surgical complications. Transient increases in blood urea nitrogen and creatinine concentrations occurred after surgery and then returned to, or below, presurgical values in 9 cattle. Nine cows were discharged and 7 rejoined their respective herd as productive animals without long‐term complications. Conclusions: Ultrasonography was the most useful imaging tool for presurgical diagnosis. Based on our follow‐up data, unilateral nephrectomy resulted in few serious short‐term or long‐term complications, and cattle undergoing this procedure are capable of satisfactory growth, reproduction, and milk production after surgery.