Cow with abdominal problem Flashcards
What VFAs are produced in the cow rumen and under what conditions?
- Main VFA at normal pH is acetate (–>milk fat)
- Starch and sugar digestion –> decreased pH –>different organisms predominate –>propionate and butyrate produced
- At even lower pH lactate is produced –> rumen acidosis and rumen stasis.
What are the features of salivation?
100-150L/day
3.5kg bicarbonate
production caused by chewing and ruminating
must be comfortable, laying down, 14 h/day
What are the 2 types of ruminal acidosis?
Acute ruminal acidosis - medical emergency
Sub-acute ruminal acidosis (SARA) - more chronic, herd-wide
What causes acute ruminal acidosis?
Sudden ingestion of large amounts of fermentable carbohydrates (breaking into feed stores, sudden lack of forage/straw bedding). Poor/guarded prognosis.
What are the clinical signs of acute RA?
dull/recumbent ataxia anorexia, blind, dehydration laminitis, umen stasis and abdominal distension dehydrated (increased pulse, sunken eyes)
How could you treat acute RA? (4)
- 5% sodium bicarbonate slow i/v (5L/450kg over 30 mins)
- i/vfluids isotonic NaCl (150ml/kg over 6-12 hours)
- oral magnesium hydroxide (500g/450kg)
- rumenotomy and/or rumen lavage
What signs would make you suspect SARA? (6)
- low milk fat and depressed milk yields (due to acetate)
- laminitis (solar ulcers and haemorrhages)
- reduced appetite
- liver abscesses
- haemoptysis and epistaxis (because of thrombosis of CdVC)
- high herd culling rate
Distinguish epistaxis and haemoptysis
- Epistaxis = bleeding from nose
- Haemoptysis = coughing of blood due to bleeding into lungs (and respiratory tract)
What are the clinical signs of rumen bloat/tympany? (5)
- Left flank distension (mild - distension of left sublumbar fossa/more severe-get distension of whole left flank/very severe-entire abdomen appears distended)
- Sudden death
- Distressed/dyspnoea
- recumbent
- standing quietly with left distended flank.
What is the difference and the difference in causes between frothy bloat and free gas bloat?
- Frothy - stable foam forms in rumen which traps gas meaning the animal cannot eructate. Due to cattle at pasture as the foamins is caused by the properties of soluble leaf proteins but also with cereal rich diets. It can be sudden and sever and cause sudden death
- Gaseous - usually due to excessive carbohydrate intakes but essentially anything causing oesophageal obstruction. Usually single animals. Appears like milk fever and lateral recumbency means the cardia of the stomach is blocked.
How do you treat frothy bloat? (3) How can it be prevented? (3)
- Remove cattle from pasture/feed source (asap)
- Passing stomach tube or inserting ruminal trocar will not work
- Treat orally with antifoaming agent/surfactant to disperse the foam (e.g. Poloxalene or simethicone (BIRP) or even mineral/corn oil).
- Sit in sternal recumbency to allow eructation
- PREVENT: (careful pasture management and care with lush or clover-rich pastures; strip graze, buffer feeding etc).
Name 4 causes of oesophageal obstruction.
- choke
- lesions of oesophageal groove (vagus indigestion or actinobacillus)
- enlarged mediastinal LNs (after pneumonia)
- tetanus (gaseous bloat is often first sign of this)
3 ways to treat gaseous bloat =?
- Stomach tube
- Rumen puncture (trocar and cannula or red devil trocar and cannula; place in centre of left paralumbar fossa)
- Rumenotomy
What happens if sharp metallic objects penetrate the wall of the reticulum? (4)
- local peritonitis (usually)
- diffuse peritonitis (occasionally)
- pericarditis (if unlucky)
- liver abscess
List some common causes of traumatic reticulo-peritonitis/hardware disease.
- wire from tyres/builders/bales/TMR
- Screws, nails