Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

BVetMed3 Alimentary > Cow With Abdominal Pain > Flashcards

Cow With Abdominal Pain Flashcards

1
Q

What is the optimum pH for rumen function?

Why?

A

6.2-7 (slightly acidic pH)

Organisms digesting cellulose operate best at this pH. DO NOT FUNCTION below this pH.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is the main VFA produced at normal pH?

What does this make?

A

Acetate

Milk fat

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What percentage of fat in milk would suggest a healthy rumen?

A

4%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What foods result in a decreased rumen pH?

How does this affect rumen microorganisms?

A

Starch and Sugar (digestion)

Organisms which are tolerant to lower pH predominate.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What VFAs are produced by organisms which can tolerate a slightly lower pH than optimal?

A

Proprionate and Butyrate

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is produced by organisms which can tolerate a very low pH?

What does this lead to?

A

Lactate

Rumen acidosis and rumen stasis

BACTERIAL POPULATION CHANGES

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Why is salivation important in cows?

A

Buffering system in rumen

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Why can saliva act as a buffering system?

A

Contains bicarbonate

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

How is saliva produced in cows?

A

By chewing and ruminating encouraged by fibre in diet.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What management factors promote rumination?

A

Fibre in diet,

Comfortable housing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

How long do cows need to spend ruminating?

A

14 hours per day

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is usually the cause of acute ruminal acidosis?

A

Sudden ingestion of large amounts of fermentable carbohydrates.
E.g. animals breaking into feed stores, over feeding of concentrates, sudden lack of forage or straw bedding.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

How serious is acute ruminal acidosis?

A

LIFE THREATENING CLINICAL EMERGENCY

Poor prognosis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What are the clinical signs associated with rumen acidosis?

A

Dull and/or recumbent

In-coordination / ataxia

Anorexia, blind, dehydration

Laminitis - sore, hot feet

Rumen stasis and abdominal distension

Dehydrated, increased pulse, sunken eyes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

How can you treat rumen acidosis?

A

Sodium bicarbonate in IV

isotonic IV fluids

Oral Magnesium Hydroxide

Rumenotomy/ rumen lavage

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What does a rumenotomy involve?

A

Empty rumen contents out

—— is it worth doing?

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What does SARA stand for?

A

Sub
Acute
Rumen
Acidosis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Who is affected by SARA?

A

herd

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

How can milk be used to detect SARA?

A

Milk fat percentage lower than 4,

Lower milk yields

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Why might it be difficult to detect SARA from average herd milk fat percentage?

A

Some members of the herd may not be affected therefore may raise the overall percentage.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What clinical signs are associated with SARA?

A

Low milk fat and depressed yield

Laminitis
Reduced appetite 
Liver abscesses 
Haemoptysis 
Epistaxis
High herd culling rate
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What is meant by the terms haemoptysis and epistaxis? Why are they associated with SARA?

A

Haemoptysis = coughing up blood (due to bleeding into lungs)

Epistaxis = nose bleed

Caused by thrombosis of causal vena cava

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Why are liver abscesses associated with SARA?

A

Bacteria can cross the rumen wall into the liver

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What abdominal observations are associated with rumen bloat?

How could these indicate severity?

A

Distension of LEFT FLANK

Mild - Left sub lumbar fossa
More severe - distension of whole left flank

VERY severe - entire abdomen distended

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
What other clinical signs could be associated with bloat?
Sudden death Distress, dyspnoea Recumbency May be standing quietly with distended left flank.
26
What are the two types of bloat?
Frothy bloat Free gas bloat
27
What happens in frothy bloat?
Stable foam forms in rumen This traps gas which therefore cannot be eructated out.
28
What management factors contribute to frothy bloat?
Cattle at pasture - caused by foaming properties of SOLUBLE LEAF PROTEINS Turning cows out on to lush pasture when they are very hungry Cereal rich diets
29
What plants are associated with frothy bloat?
Legumes, clovers, alfalfa and rich lush pastures (especially if cows hungry)
30
Describe the onset of frothy bloat.
Can be sudden and severe - potentially SUDDEN DEATH Cows can die overnight after being turned out onto lush pasture
31
How can you treat frothy bloat?
CLINICAL EMERGENCY Remove cattle from pasture/food source Treat ORALLY with antifoaming agent e.g. mineral oil / corn oil (cooking oil) -this allows foam to disperse. Sit cow in sternal recumbency
32
What oral treatments can be given for frothy bloat?
Proloxalene (Bloat guard) Mineral oil/ corn oil Simethicone (BIRP)
33
How could management techniques be used to prevent frothy bloat?
Careful pasture management Care when turning out onto lush pastures, especially those with lots of clovers Consider strip grazing or buffer feeding to prevent rapid intake of large quantities of lush pasture.
34
What is buffer feeding?
Feeding hay/silage before turning out after milking. Animals don’t go out to pasture starving so less likely to gorge.
35
What are the potential causes of free gas bloat?
Excessive carbohydrate intake Oesophageal obstruction Milk fever Lateral recumbency
36
How can milk fever cause free gas bloat?
Hypocalcaemia Stops rumen turning
37
How can lateral recumbency cause free gas bloat?
Blocks cardiac sphincter
38
What can cause an oesophageal obstruction (CHOKE)?
Lesions of the oesophageal groove - Vagus indigestion - Actinobacillus Enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes (e.g. following pneumonia) Tetanus
39
How can you treat free gas bloat?
Stomach tube Rumen puncture
40
How would you perform rumen puncture?
Use (Red Devil) trocar and cannula Draw a triangle between tuber coxae and top of last rib, Make a small hole with a scalpel in the middle of the triangle, and put the trocar in.
41
How might you perform a rumenotomy?
Make an incision in the rumen Stitch the rumen to the body wall Evacuate rumen contents
42
Where do metal objects tend to stay if eaten by a cow?
The reticulum
43
What ‘normal’ metal objects might you find in the reticulum at the abattoir?
Worming boluses Magnets
44
What might happen if a cow eats a sharp metal object?
May penetrate the wall of the reticulum This can lead to: Local and diffuse peritonitis Pericarditis Liver abscess
45
What clinical signs may be associated with traumatic reticulo-peritonitis?
``` Vague and numerous presentations: Drop of milk yield and appetite Increased temperature Arching of back Reduced rumen contraction Reduced reticulo-rumen movements (mixing cycle) Marked jugular pulse Splashing sounds over heart ```
46
What might cause splashing sounds over the heart?
Pericardial fluid
47
How could you diagnose traumatic reticulo-peritonitis?
Withers Pinch Pole test Eric Williams test
48
How could a Withers pinch tell you if a patient has traumatic reticulo-peritonitis?
When withers pinched, patient will dip down If pain when dipping down (grunting), reticulum is sore
49
How would you perform the pole test?
Put metal bar behind front legs and lift If pain seen, reticulum sore
50
What are the two types of rumen cycle?
Reticulum-rumen, no eructation Rumen only with eructation.
51
What is the Eric Williams test?
If pain is seen before the reticulum-rumen phase of the rumen cycle, TRP Look for grunting, holding breath, shuffling feet.
52
How might you treat TRP?
Conservative — tie animal up with front feet higher than back feet — Parentral antibiotics — Analgesics Rumenotomy to remove wire Slaughter
53
Why might bolus magnets not be successful in preventing TRP?
Only magnetic metals get picked up
54
Where does the abomasum usually sit?
Ventrally, just to the right of the midline
55
What animals are prone to LDAs?
High producing dairy cows Within 6 weeks of calving
56
What can cause a LDA?
Poor management over TRANSITION PERIOD - dry to post calving period ``` High concentrate diet Insufficient fibre Diet changed too quickly Milk fever or retained foetal membranes (RFM) Genetic factors ```
57
What clinical signs may be associated with an LDA?
Signs may be mild initially but highly variable. Drop in milk yield Changed appetite Raised ketone levels in blood and urine Reduced BCS and rumen contractions
58
How could you diagnose a LDA?
Place stethoscope and flick over whole left flank PING Place stethoscope on caudal ventral abdomen and shake TINKLE
59
How can you treat a LDA?
Rolling the cow Roll and toggle Right or left flank omentopexy Right paramedian abomasopexy
60
What, other than a LDA, can cause a left sided ping?
Bloat Rumen collapse Vagal indigestion Pneumoperitoneum
61
Why might a RDA be more severe than a LDA?
Can twist, resulting in abomasal torsion or volvulus This causes acute intestinal obstruction, compromising of blood supply and ischaemic necrosis.
62
How might a cow with an RDA present?
Sick Shocked Dehydrated In pain
63
How would you treat a cow with a RDA?
Surgery within hours or slaughter on humane grounds.
64
What can cause right sided pings?
RDA Abomasal volvulus Caecal dilation or volvulus Gas in spiral colon
65
What causes gas in the spiral colon?
Sometimes after diarrhoea NOT CLINICALLY RELEVANT
66
How can you distinguish Caecal dilation from LDA
Right ping paralumbar fossa Rectal examination - can palpate caecal apex coming into pelvic inlet - Sausage coming towards you
67
What can caecal dilation progress to?
Free caudal end may twist causing volvulus.

BVetMed3 Alimentary (16 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions