Bovine Digestive System 3 Flashcards
What are the major disease conditions that affect the rumen of cattle?
Rumen impaction, ruminant indigestion, rumenitis, acute rumen acidosis
What are the major causes of rumen impaction?
The number 1 cause is prolonged anorexia!!! Also microbial inactivity, poor quality roughage diet, antibiotics or plant poisons foul up microbes
What can lead to ruminal impaction from microbial inactivity?
Microbial nutrition deficiency or disruption
What are the causes of grain overload
Engorge on fermentable CHOs, feedlots: intro to grain, accidental access to grain, fermentation of CHOs to lactic acid, systemic acidosis, dehydration, diarrhea
What are the two conditions caused by grain overload
Simple indigestion or fatal toxemic acidosis
What is the outcome of simple indigestion from grain overload?
Full rumen, causes bloat and colic. Usually results in diarrhea, reduced luminal movements but returns to eating with in 3-4 days.
What is the outcome of fatal toxemic acidosis from grain overload?
Causes complete anorexia and depression, recumbent you with head to flank, temp below 98-101 degrees, elevated heart rate with profuse watery diarrhea (sweet odor). DEHYDRATION AND ATAXIA are the two main signs. Die within 24-72 hrs.
What causes Ruminant indigestion?
Common group of disease of dysfunction of the reticulorumen, feed change, nongrazing cattle, intermittently fed
What is the normal rumen pH? And What would you use as an alkalizing agent? What would you use as an acidifier?
6-7. Magnesium hydroxide. Vinegar
What is the most severe form of fermentation indigestion and how is it caused?
Acute Ruminal Acidosis caused by rapid intraluminal fermentation associated with excess amounts of CHOs, lack of acclimation of the substrate. Usually occurs in feedlot cattle because of the high intake of feed in a short period of time.
What is hardware disease?
Traumatic reticuloperitonitis, foreign object penetration of the reticulum result in in localized or generalized peritonitis
What would you expect in a normal rumen fluid sample?
Color: olive, brownish-green. pH 6-7 for a roughage diet and 5.5-6.6 for a grain diet. Odor: aromatic, very strong order. Consistency: slightly viscous. Sedimentation/floatation: 4-8 minutes. Redox potential: 3-6 minutes. Protozoal activity: multiple forms of Protozoa. Chloride concentration:
