Forestomachs Flashcards
What is primary indigestion in ruminants?
- Reticulorumen directly affected
- Caused by motor dysfunction (Vagus n/ receptor issue) or fermentative disorder
Ex: Frothy bloat, free gas bloat, rumenitis, TRP, Obstructions, acidosis/alkalosis, SARA, etc
What is secondary indigestion in ruminants?
- Sequelae to systemic disease
- Ex: Endotoxemia, fever, abomasal reflux
What causes a papple shape cow?
- Omasal transport failure (Type 2 ind.)
- Abomasal impaction/distention (Type 3 ind.)
What causes a D shaped cow?
- Volvulus!!!
- Abomasal volvulus (RDA!!)
- Cecocolic volvulus
What causes a reverse D shaped cow?
- Bloat!!
- Frothy bloat
- Free gas bloat (more dorsally distended)
- Acute rumen acidosis
- Acute rumen stasis (simple indigestion)
Causes of vagal nerve indigestion?
- Inflammation of forestomachs and abomasum
- Pharyngeal trauma
- Bronchopneumonia in calves
- Ischemia
- TRP
- etc
What is simple indigestion? CS? Tx?
- Acute onset of rumen stasis
- Caused by abrupt diet change
- Mild bloat on LEFT side
- Self limiting
- Give fluids, correct electrolytes, give grass/hay, transfaunation
What is primary ruminal tympany?
- Frothy bloat
What is secondary ruminal tympany?
- Free gas bloat
- Causes left dorsal distention of rumen (Reverse D)
What causes free gas bloat?
- Failure of secondary contraction/eructation
- Obstruction causes inability to expel gas
(Type 1 indigestion)
How can free gas bloat be diagnosed on PE?
- Bonk when pinging
- Reverse D, dorsal distention of rumen
How to treat free gas bloat?
- Can be relieved by passing tube
- May recur tho “chronic bloat”
What causes frothy bloat?
- Primary indigestion (receptors can’t detect the small gas bubbles causing failure of secondary contractions)
- Small gas bubbles form stable foam in the rumen
- From lush legumes, new pasture or clover
How to diagnose free gas bloat vs frothy bloat?
- Free gas bloat and distention is relieved with ororuminal tube
- Dorsal distention with free gas
How to treat free gas bloat?
- Ororuminal tube!!
- Trochar or rumenotomy if in resp distress
How to treat frothy bloat?
- Poloxalene PO
- Veggie oil
- Dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate
(all reduce surface tension of foam)
Note: Ororuminal tube with no relief indicates frothy bloat
How to prevent frothy bloat?
- Better grazing management
- Avoid rapid diet change
- Poloxalene
- Ionophores (Monensin)
List the 4 different types of indigestion
- Type 1: Free gas bloat (can’t burp)
- Type 2: Omasal transport failure
- Type 3: Abomasal stasis
- Type 4: Late pregnancy or pyloric outflow obstruction
How can Type II and Type III indigestion be differentiated?
- Type II (OTF) has normal acid base and electrolytes
- Hypochloremic, hypokalemic, metabolic alkalosis with Type III (Abomasal stasis)
What is internal vomiting?
- HCL from abomasum enters back into the rumen
- Causes elevated Chloride in rumen
- Blood gas: Hypochloremic, hypokalemic, metabolic alkalosis
Causes of Type III indigestion?
- Abomasal stasis from:
- FB
- Impaction
- Pyloric dz
- Peritonitis
- Abomasal ulcers
- Internal vomiting
Tx for Type III indigestion?
- Pass tube to relieve distention
- Aggressive fluids to correct electrolytes (NaCl + KCL)
- Tx primary cause (ulcers, impaction, peritonitis, etc)
(Type III is abomasal stasis)
What causes Type IV indigestion?
- Late pregnancy
- Pyloric outflow obstruction
CS with failure of the esophageal groove to close?
- Failure to thrive
- Poor coat
- Pot bellied
- Fluid distended abomasum
- Rumenocentesis: Grey, clotted milk with putrid odor
What pH indicates SARA?
pH: 5-5.5
What occurs with the microbiome with SARA?
- Overgrowth of G+ bacT (Strep Bovis, Lactobacilli)
- G- bacT die, release LPS, sepsis
Sequelae of SARA?
- Rumenitis
- Laminitis
- Liver abscesses
- Vena caval thrombosis
- Hemoptysis
- Decreased milk fat
- Diarrhea
- Sepsis
CS of SARA?
- HERD level, multiple cows!
- Low BCS
- Lameness
- Foamy feces
- Decreased cud chewing
- Increased infections (impaired immunity)
- Decreased milk fat
What would you expect to see on sediment test with SARA?
- Rapid sedimentation
What would you expect to see on methylene blue reduction test with SARA?
- Prolonged
What is the pH with lactic acidosis/grain overload?
pH < 5.2
What CS are present with lactic acidosis/grain overload that aren’t seen with SARA?
- Neuro signs!!
- Polioencephalomalacia, Give thiamine (B1)!
What is a poor prognostic indicator for cows with lactic acidosis?
- pH < 7.2
- Rumen pH < 4.5
- Severe CNS signs
- Anuria
How do you correct bicarb levels in cows with SARA or lactic acidosis?
**0.3 (adult) or 0.6 (neonate) x base deficit x BW in kgs = Amount of Bicarb needed in mmol
Then divide by 150mmol/L**
Correct HALF deficit then reassess
Tx for SARA/ lactic acidosis?
- Thiamine!!
- Fluids
- Transfuanation
- Abxs (Ampicillin)
- Magnesium
CS of TRP?
- Grunt with dorsal pressure “Williams test”
- Absent withers test
- Decreased cud chewing
- Arched back
- Forelimbs abducted
How to diagnose TRP?
- Ab tap: High TNCC, TP, and neuts > 40%
- Withers test (will be absent)
- Williams test (they will grunt in pain)
- Magnet test
- Ultrasound
