Ocular echobiometry and head measurements in Jersey cattle from different age groups

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Ophthalmology
• Animal Morphology
• Comparative Anatomy

Background:

• Understanding the morphological development of cattle is crucial for assessing ocular health and growth.
• Jersey cattle are a globally significant dairy breed, making their developmental characteristics of interest.

Purpose of the Study:

• To longitudinally investigate the morphological development of the eyes and head in Jersey cattle across different age groups.
• To establish correlations between ocular biometry and cranial measurements in growing Jersey cattle.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal study involving 48 Jersey cattle aged 1-58 months.
• Ophthalmologic examinations and transcorneal ultrasound to measure ocular parameters: axial length (AxL), corneal thickness (CO), lenticular thickness (L), anterior chamber (AC), and vitreous chamber (VC) depths.
• Cranial measurements including total, cranial, and nasal lengths and widths, followed by cephalic index (CI) calculation.

Main Results:

• Ocular parameters (AxL, AC, L, VC) significantly increased with age (p ≤ .001), while corneal thickness (CO) did not show significant changes (p > .05).
• Cranial measurements (total length, cranial length, nasal length, nasal width) increased significantly (p < .001), and the cephalic index (CI) decreased (p < .001).
• Axial length showed a positive correlation with cranial length and width, and a negative correlation with CI.

Conclusions:

• Ocular biometry in Jersey cattle correlates with cranial measurements, indicating coordinated growth.
• The study establishes growth curves for ocular and cranial morphology in Jersey cattle, comparable to those in other mammals.
• These findings provide valuable data for understanding normal bovine development and potential deviations.