Bloat + traumatic reticulitis Flashcards
What is rumen tympany? What are the types?
- bloat = accumulation of rumen gas sufficient to change contour of rumen (visible distension)
- 2 types =
- free gas bloat - less common - obstruction / animal unable to burp
- frothy bloat - more common - stable foam produced on top of rumen liquid which blocks the release of gas
What are clinical signs of bloat?
- Rumen on LHS = distended left abdomen - continues = whole abdomen distended
- Painful = reluctant to move + eat, appear distressed + vocal
- Respiratory distress
- Can become fatal quickly
What is free gas bloat?
- Loss of gas prevented =
- obstruction of oesophagus - foreign body (potato) / 2ary to chronic pneumonia - mediastinal abscess
- 2ary to other conditions which interfere with rumenoreticular motility (wire, vagal indigestion, milk fever, tetanus)
- posture - animal gets ‘cast’
What is frothy bloat?
- Stable foam produced on top of rumen liquid = no gas release
- Occurs mainly in animals on pasture containing alfalfa, lucerne or clover
- Also seen in animals fed high levels of finely ground grain
How is bloat diagnosed?
- Hx = especially feeding
- Clinical signs
What is treatment of free gas bloat?
- Pass stomach tube
- Trochar (red devil) - in emergency / chronic bloat
- Treat underlying condition
If bloat caused by oesophageal obstruction what is seen?
- Inability to swallow
- Regurgitation of feed + H2O
- Drooling
- Bloat
What is aetiology of free gas bloat caused by oesophageal obstruction?
- Intra-luminal =
- Potatoes / turnips (cut up before feeding)
- Placenta
- Extra-luminal =
- Pressure by surrounding organs - mediastinal abscesses + tuberculous lymph nodes
What is treatment of bloat if obstruction?
- Starve + observe
- Sedate
- Buscopan
- Flunixin
- may self resolve
* if not = manual removal = gag + pass hand to back of pharynx / probang with cutting loop / push into rumen with probang from cardia
If unsuccessful removal of obstruction what should be done?
- Trocharise rumen to relieve bloat
- Feed via rumen
- Waill till obstruction passes
- Warn owner of possible oesophageal damage / necrosis
What is treatment of frothy bloat?
- Pass stomach tube
- Trochar
- Need to dose with surfactant + exercise
- oils e.g. vegetable oil
- EMERGENCY = 4-6” incision L sub-lumbar fossa
How can you prevent frothy bloat?
- Avoid high risk pastures at high risk times - soon after turn out, when wet
- Buffer feed
- Restrict access - strip graze
- Administer antifoaming agents - spray grass
- Cull animals with recurrent bloat
What history suggest traumatic reticulitis?
- Sudden MILK drop - e.g. 20L to 5L
- Hunched up appearance
- Stiff gait
- Inappetent
- Often fed a TMR
Where is the reticulum?
LHS - opposite 6-8th rib
What is normal rumen contractions?
- 3 contractions every 2 mins
What’s the difference between primary + secondary cycle contractions?
- Primary cycle =
- biphasic, mixing cycle, contraction of reticulum + then contraction of rumen
- Secondary cycle =
- rumen contraction, starts in caudal rumen, pushes gas into cardia + ERUCTATION
How is traumatic reticulitis diagnosed?
- Eric Williams test - listen over trachea + feel rumen contractions on L-flank
- Withers pinch - abdominal pain
- Pole test - abdominal pain (localise)
- Faeces - stiffer w longer fibre (individual cow - if multiple = SARA?)
- WBC count - non specific
What should you hear with Eric Williams test? normally? + if traumatic reticulitis?
- 1ary cycle = place right hand in left sub lumbar fossa + stethoscope over trachea = feel contraction but no eructation
- 2ary cycle = feel contraction + observe eructation
- If traumatic reticulitis = pain on reticular contraction:
- 3 scenarios =
1. Reduction in 1° cycles
2. Grunt immediately prior to 1° .
3. Breath holding prior to 1° .
4. Very subtle
What are different causes of traumatic reticulitis?
- Tyres - fall into feeder wagons
- Baling sheep netting
- Nails
- Old fencing wire
What are clinical signs of traumatic reticulitis?
- Sudden onset - drop in yield
- Increased temp 39.5 oC
- Reduced rumen contractions
- Eric Williams test = reduced number of 1ary contractions
- Hunched up = adducted elbows
- Inappetant, dull, depressed
What are other test for traumatic reticulitis?
- Withers pinch = +ve for any pain
- Metal detector
- Exploratory rumenotomy
What are consequences of swallowing a wire?
- If no penetration = no effect
- Penetration = local reticulo-peritonitis
- ventral / lateral = better prognosis
- medial = damage to vagus, abscess in medial wall, no pain receptors
- pericardium = pericarditis
- other organs = spleen, lungs
- generalised peritonitis
What heart sounds are heard with traumatic pericarditis?
- Initially = pericardial rub
- later = very quiet / absent
- Later = washing machine sounds
What is seen with traumatic pericarditis as heart failure develops?
- Distended jugular Vein
- Visible jugular pulse
- Sub-mandibular oedema
- Hopeless prognosis
If performing an exploratory rumenotomy, what is proper aftercare?
- Antibiotics
- NSAIDs
- Return to milk yield
- Magnets for others
- Stop using tyres
What is vagus indigestion?
- Complication of traumatic reticuloperitonitis
- vagus nerve injury - penetration in medial wall of reticulum
- reticular adhesions
What is seen with vagus nerve injury + dysfunction?
- Dorsal nerve injury = achalasia of reticulo omasal orifice
= enlarged rumen +/- bloat - Pyloric branch of ventral vagal nerve = achalasia of pylorus = abomasal impaction
- Can have hyperomotility / hypomotility of rumen depending on type of fibre damaged
Other than traumatic reticuloperitonitis what else can cause vagal indigestion?
- Actinobacillosis of rumen / reticulum
- Fibropapillomas of cardia
- Late pregnancy
