Necrosis of the brain in calves following dehorning

This is a report of an acute hemorhagic necrotizing encephalitis following dehorning in calves on pasture. Calves were found either dead or down in extremis. Multiple necrotic inflammatory lesions were found in the cerebral cortices of affected calves at postmortem. Necrosis and hemorhage were observed microscopically to be more prominent than inflammation, indicating the peracute overwhelming nature of the process. The etiology was not determined but clostridial infection was suspected.