Cow with Abdominal Problem/LDA Flashcards
What is the normal volume of the rumen?
180-200L
What is the primary function of the rumen?
Cellulose digestion
What is the main VFA produced at normal rumen pH and what does this impact?
Acetate = milk fat %
What are the main VFA’s produced at a lower (more acidic) than normal pH and what does this impact?
Priopionate and Butyrate
Results of microbe starch and sugar digestion
What VFA is produced at a VERY low rumen pH and what serious issue can this cause for cows?
Lactate –> Rumenal acidosis/Rumen stasis
What is the main buffer system in the rumen? What is the buffer component of saliva?
Saliva - Bicarbonate (HCO3-)
How many L of saliva does a cow produce per day?
100-150L
What encourages cow saliva production?
Fiber in diet –> chewing
What does a cow need in order to adequately produce saliva?
Comfortable housing, Laying down, Upwards of 14 hrs per day!
What is acute ruminal acidosis and what is it caused by?
Life threatening clinical emergency caused by sudden ingestion of large amounts of fermentable carbohydrates (Ex. animals breaking into feed stores, overfeeding of concentrates, underfeeding of forage, high energy animals on too high carb diet (poor transition period management), sudden lack of forage or straw bedding (decreased saliva production)
What is the prognosis for a cow with acute ruminal acidosis?
Poor/Guarded
What are the clinical signs of a cow with ruminal acidosis?
Dull/recumbent
Incoordination/Ataxia
Anorexia
Blindness
Laminitis
Rumen stasis, abdominal distension
Dehydration
Increased pulses
Sunken eyes
What is the treatment protocol for Acute ruminal acidosis?
5% sodium bicarbonate (baking soda, any kind of base) given slow IV - 5L per 450 kg body mass over 30 mins
- OK to give non-sterile solution, just make it as clean as possible
IV isotonic NaCl 150 ml/kg over 6-12 hrs
- Very difficult to accomplish (volume availability on farm)
Oral magnesium hydroxide 500g per 450 kg
- Laxative
Rumenotomy or Rumen lavage (scoop out rumen contents and flush)
- Last resort, very invasive procedure, not clean, not always successful
What is SARA?
Subacute Ruminal Acidosis
Ill-defined herd syndrome - generalized low milk yields, decreased appetite
Laminitis (solar ulcers/hemorrhages)
Liver abscesses (PM/abattoir finding)
Hemoptysis (coughing up of blood)/epistaxis (blood from nose) caused by thrombosis of caudal vena cava (cow dies with pool of blood around head/nose)
Repeated cases of epistaxis/hemoptysis within herd is diagnostic of what kind of herd problem?
SARA
What causes thrombosis of vena cava in SARA?
Occurs as a result of liver abscesses which cause damage to the vena cava closest to the liver
What is this condition?
Rumenal Bloat (tympany)
What are the 2 types of bloat?
Frothy bloat and Gaseous/Free bloat
Describe the causes of frothy bloat
Stable foam forms in rumen, traps gas, cow cannot eructate out
Usually cattle at pasture, caused by foaming properties of soluble leaf proteins (legumes, clover, alfalfa, rich/lush pasture)
Can also be caused by cereal rich diet
Can be sudden/severe and lead to sudden death
What is the treatment for frothy bloat?
Treat as clinical emergency
Immediately remove cattle from pasture/source
Stomach tube/Trocar WILL NOT relieve froth bloat
Must treat orally with surfactant (anti-foaming) agent - Poloxalene (Bloat guard), Mineral oil, Corn oil, Simethicone (antiflatulent), dish soap in emergency
Place cow in sternal recumbency to promote natural eructation
How do you prevent frothy bloat?
Careful pasture management
Consider buffer feeding so cows are not keen to intake large amounts of lush grass at turnout
Strip grazing
Describe the causes of gaseous (free gas) bloat
Excessive carbohydrate intakes
Esophageal obstruction
- Dietary - sugar beet, potato
- Choke
- Lesions of esophageal groove (vagus indigestion, actinobacillus - nerve damage)
- enlarged mediastinal LN’s
- Tetanus
Milk fever - hypocalcemia
Prolonged Lateral Recumbency (blocks cardia)
What is the treatment for gaseous bloat?
Give calcium
Sit cow upright
Cow can burp/relieve bloat on her own
In ER situations relieve gas with stomach tube or rumen puncture (red devil trocar/cannula)
Where is the insertion point for a trocar to relieve gaseous bloat?
Paralumbar fossa
What is traumatic reticulo-peritonitis? What kinds of issues can this cause?
Cow eats metal objects –> pass into reticulum –> able to penetrate wall of reticulum and cause problems:
- Local peritonitis, Diffuse peritonitis
- Pericarditis (cranial penetration)
- Liver abscess (caudal penetration)
Can also remain in reticulum for whole life without causing issues and result in finding at abattoir
What are the common causes of traumatic reticulo-peritonitis?
Wire from tires (silage clamps)
Wire from builders/bales
Nails, screws, etc.
TMR - Total mixed ration - Wagons
What are the clinical signs of a wire?
Vage, numerous presentations
Dropped milk yield, reduced appetite, back arching, possibly febrile
Rumen contraction rate down, painful reticulo-rumen movements
Jugular pulse, splashing sounds over heart (pericarditis - fluid accumulation in pericardium)
What are the diagnostic tests used for diagnosing traumatic reticulo-peritonitis?
Withers pinch
Pole Test
Eric Williams Test
What is the Withers pinch?
Cow dips when pinching withers
What is the pole test?
Pull metal pole up to sternum behind front legs, if cow is sore might suggest it has a wire
What is the Eric Williams Test?
Observing a quiet grunt right before rumenal contraction
Animal grunts, holds breath, shuffles feet
What is the treatment for traumatic reticulo-peritonitis (wire)?
Conservative treatment
- Tie animal up with front feet higher than back for ~1 week (should result in wire moving down GIT eventually)
- Parenteral abx for 5-7 days + PAIN RELIEF!
Rumenotomy - remove wire
Slaughter - sometimes the most cost-effective option
Magnet - only usable for some situations
What are the causes of LDA and which cows are most predisposed to this condition?
Left Displaced abomasum
Occurs more often in high producing dairy cows
Occurs within 6 weeks of calving
Poorly understood causes, but possibly genetic factors
Poor management over transition period (carb intake), Diet changes made too quickly, Insufficient fiber intake, Milk fever, RFM
What are the clinical signs of LDA?
May be mild initial signs, highly variable
Drop in milk yield
Reduced appetite
Raised ketone levels in blood/urine
Loss of body condition
Reduced rumen contractions (variable)
How do you diagnose LDA?
Pings! Listen for pings over whole left flank
What is the conservative treatment for LDA? Is it usually successful?
What are the surgical treatment options for LDA?
Conservative:
Rolling - rarely successful, difficult to accomplish
Surgical:
Roll and Toggle
Right flank laparotomy with right omentopexy or pyloropexy
Utrecht method - Left flank laparotomy with ventral abomasopexy or omentopexy
Right paramedian laparotomy with ventral abomasopexy or omentopexy Laparoscopy
What are some rare causes of left sided pings (besides LDA)?
Bloat
Rumen collapse (decreased appetite, rumen saggy)
Vagal indigestion (damage to vagus nerve, Actinomyces)
Pneumoperitoneum (after surgery air stays in abdomen, causes ping!)
Is RDA or LDA more common?
LDA
If you hear a left sided ping what should you think of?
LDA
Other rare causes (rule out LDA first)
If you hear right sided pings what should oyu think of?
- RDA
- Abomasal volvulus
- Cecal dilation or volvulus
- Gas in spiral colon
What is ketosis? What is another name for ketosis?
increased levels of ketone bodies in the blood as a result of rapid fat breakdown (sometimes called acetonemia)
What is acidosis?
Low pH
Is ketoacidosis an appropriate term in ruminants?
No - 2 different things
