Bloat and Traumatic Reticulitis 1 + 2 Flashcards
Define ruminal tympany (bloat)
“Accumulation of rumen gas sufficient to change contour of rumen”
Visible distension
Describe the two types of ruminal tympany/bloat
- Free gas bloat – less common – obstruction or animal unable to burp!
- Frothy bloat – more common, stable foam produced on top of the rumen liquid which blocks the release of the gas
Describe the clinical signs of ruminal tympany
- Distended L.abdomen. As distension continues whole abdomen can become distended.
- Often painful: reluctant to move and eat, appear distressed, vocalisation
- Respiratory distress
- Death can occur quickly, especially once an animal is recumbent
- Can affect either 1 or 2 individuals or lots (more affected with frothy bloat)
How does a free gas bloat occur?
Loss of gas prevented i.e. obstruction of the oesophagus
- Foreign Body e.g. potatoes
- 2° to chronic pneumonia – mediastinal abscesses
List the conditions that free gas bloat could occur secondarily to
Conditions which interfere with rumenoreticular motility (wire, vagal indigestion, milk fever, tetanus)
Frothy bloat occurs most commonly in which animals?
Animals on pasture containing alfalfa, lucerne or clover – rapidly digested in the rumen and form fine particles that trap gas bubbles
Or can see in animals fed high levels of finely ground grain
How is ruminal tympany diagnosed?
History – especially feeding history!
Clinical Signs!
How can you treat a free gas bloat?
- Pass a stomach tube
- Trochar - in an emergency (sharp, pointed surgical instrument)
- ‘red devil’: screw/pin like instrument
What are the clinical signs of oesophageal obstruction in cattle?
- Inability to swallow.
- Regurgitation of feed and H2O
- Drooling.
- Bloat.
Describe the aetiology of an intraluminal oesophageal obstruction
Potatoes / Turnips – make sure to cut up before feeding
Placenta – where they’ve eaten it
- Reduce competition, increased feed barrier space
Describe the aetiology of an extraluminal oesophageal obstruction
Pressure by surrounding organs
- Mediastinal abscesses.
- Tuberculous Lymph Nodes
How can an oesophageal obstruction be treated?
- Conservative approach: many self-resolve
- Starve and observe, sedate, Buscopan (muscle relaxant), flunixin
- Manual removal: gag and pass hand to back of pharynx while assistant pushes FB up.
How can a free gas bloat due to oesophageal obstruction be treated as a last resort if other methods are unsuccessful?
- Trocharise rumen to relieve bloat
- Feed via rumen
- Wait till obstruction passes
- Warn owner of possible oesophageal damage/necrosis
How can a frothy bloat be treated?
- Pass stomach tube
- Trochar
- Won’t Work Alone – need to dose with surfactant then exercise
- If emergency: 4-6” incision – L sub-lumbar fossa
How can ruminal tympany be prevented?
- Avoid high risk pastures at high risk times i.e. soon after turn out, when wet
- Buffer feed
- Restrict access – strip graze
- Administer antifoaming agents – spray grass
- Remove animals with recurrent bloat
Describe the clinical signs of traumatic reticulitis
- Sudden MILK DROP e.g.- 20l to 5l
- Hunched up appearance
- Stiff gait
- Inappetent
Cows with traumatic reticulitis are often fed what kind of diet?
Total mixed ration
Where does the reticulum lie in the cow?
On the LHS, opposite the 6-8th rib
Describe the rumen contraction timings
3 rumen/reticular contractions in 2 minutes = normal
Describe the features of primary rumen contractions
- Biphasic.
- Mixing cycle.
- Contraction of reticulum
- Then contraction of rumen
Describe the features of secondary rumen contractions
- Rumen contraction
- Starts in caudal rumen
- Pushes gas to cardia
- ERUCTATION
What is the ratio of primary and secondary rumen contractions?
2 primary to 1 secondary
Regurgitation
Start again
How can traumatic reticulitis be diagnosed
- Eric williams test
- Withers pinch
- Pole test
- Look at faeces: individual cow with stiff faeces
- WBC count? non-specific
- Exploratory rumenotomy
- Metal detector
What is the Eric williams test?
Listen over trachea
Feel rumen contractions in L flank
What is the purpose of the withers pinch and pole test?
Detect abdominal pain
Describe how to carry out the Eric Williams test over the primary and secondary cycle
1° cycle:
- Place right hand in left sub lumbar fossa
- Stethoscope over trachea
- Feel contraction
- No eructation
2° cycle.
- Feel the contraction
- Observe the eructation
What are the 3 different scenarios seen on the Eric Williams test if a cow has traumatic reticulitis?
There is pain on reticular contraction:
3 scenarios:
- 1. Reduction in 1° cycles
- 2. Grunt immediately prior to 1° .
- 3. Breath holding prior to 1° .
List some causes of traumatic reticulitis
- Tyres
- Sheep netting
- Nails
- Old fencing wire
Describe the clinical signs of traumatic reticulitis
Sudden onset – drop in yield
Increased temp 39.50
Reduced rumen contractions.
Hunched up - Adducted elbows
Inappetant, dull, depressed.
How would a WBC count change if a cow had traumatic reticulitis?
Neutrophillia & left shift.
More neutrophils than lymphocytes
What are the consequences if a cow swallows a wire but it doesn’t penetrate?
No effect
What are the consequences if a cow swallows a wire and it penetrates?
Local reticulo-peritonitis
- Ventral/lateral: better prognosis
- Medial: Damage to vagus, abscess in medial wall, no pain receptors
- Pericarditis
- Generalised peritonitis
How does traumatic pericarditis present?
Pulse and temp – raised
Very ill – “toxic”
Heart sounds
- Initially: pericardial rub
- Later: very quiet /absent
- Later: “washing machine sounds”
Hear failure develops
What are the signs that heart failure has developed with traumatic pericarditis?
Distended jugular V.
Visible jugular pulse
Sub-mandibular oedema
Hopeless prognosis
Describe how to carry out an exploratory rumenotomy procedure
- Left sub lumbar fossa: Incise - Not too high or low.
- Palpate abdomen
- Exteriorise cranial portion of rumen
- 2 bone pins act as anchors.
- Sterile towels as a seal around rumen.
- Incise rumen.
- Hand forward.
- Locate reticulum.
- Search for FB: often ventral
- Close rumen: Cushing or Lembert
Describe the aftercare needed for a cow that has undergone an exploratory rumenotomy procedure
Antibiotics
NSAIDS
Return to milk yield
Magnets for others
Stop using tyres
Vagus indigestion occurs as a complication of?
Traumatic reticuloperitonitis
What is vagus nerve indigestion?
Vagus nerve injury and dysfunction
- Penetration in medial wall of reticulum
An enlarged rumen +/- bloat leads to what kind of vagus nerve injury?
Dorsal vagus nerve injury
Abomasal impaction leads to what kind of vagus nerve injury?
Damage to the pyloric branch of ventral vagal nerve.
What is the most important cause of vagal nerve damage in traumatic reticuloperitonitis?
Reticular adhesions
Describe the history of an animal with vagal indigestion
Traumatic reticulitis.
- Several weeks to months earlier.
- Often undiagnosed
Describe the pathogenesis of vagal indigestion
Disturbance in rumen outflow
Disturbance in pylorus outflow
- Rumenal distension
- Pasty / frothy contents
Alteration in reticulo rumen motility.
- Hypermotile OR Hypomotile
- Ratio of primary: secondary contractions upset “chaotic”
What are the clinical signs/findings of vagal indigestion
- Chronic: inappetence / loss of BCS.
- “10 to 4” appearance: upper left and lower right quadrants stick out
- Hypo/hyper motile
- Dehydration.
- Enlarged rumen.
- Scant faeces.
- Undigested material
- Inadequate response to tx.
- Distended abomasum in lower right quadrant
List the DDx of vagal indigestion
- Chronic traumatic reticulitis.
- Abomasal impaction / dietary in origin.
- Omasal impaction.
- Abomasal ulceration.
How is vagal indigestion treated?
Prognosis is poor - slaughter
Rumen lavage.
Fluid therapy and laxatives.
Rumenotomy / Red Devil
