Hardware disease (traumatic reticuloperitonitis): clinical signs, local and/or systemic consequences, diagnosis and treatment Flashcards
Local and/or systemic consequences
• Toxins, bacteria : Secondary disorders
o Nephrosis
o Myocardosis/myocarditis
o Arthritis
• Further penetration : complications
o Traumatic pericarditis, +/- pleuritis, pneumonia
o Traumatic splenitis, hepatitis, abomasitis
o Hoflund syndrome
o Seldom: coronary bleeding, subcutaneous abscess
Clinical (acute) signs in initial penetration
General appearance
sudden onset, sharp in milk yield! No movement because painful
Clinical (acute) signs in initial penetration
Posture
o Stretched head and neck o Kyphosis (arching of the back) o "Tucked up” (pulled-up) abdomen
Clinical (acute) signs in initial penetration
• Movement, behaviour
o Frightened glance,
o Slow, rigid, “cautious”, difficult stand up/turning,
o Defecating, urinating, lying down, getting up, and stepping
Clinical (acute) signs in initial penetration
sound (grunt)
o Stethoscope over the larynx or trachea
o Hand over the laryngeal area, but….
o More detectable in acute than in chronic (often subsides in chronic stage)!
Clinical (acute) signs in initial penetration
Basic clinical values
o T: 39,5-40,0 OC, often mildly increased
o P: 80 - 100/min
o R: >30/min, rapid, shallow, costal: too painful to breathe with the abdomen
Clinical (acute) signs in initial penetration
Digestive signs
- Appetite, belching, rumination! (–)
- Rumen motility! (–)
- Rumen: small, firm, separated content, +/- mild tympany
- Reticulum: reticular sounds! (–) missing: US to see if they are movement
- Faeces: decreased, dry, poorly digested
Clinical signs in chronic cases
- Feed intake and faecal output ↓
- Milk production remains low
- Abdominal pain become less apparent
- T: usually returns to normal
- Some cattle develop vagal indigestion syndrome (Hoflund syndrome) (particularly on the ventromedial reticulum is affected)
Clinical signs in case of pleuritis or pericarditis
- Depressed
- H: (>90 bpm) (severe tachycardia)
- T: >40°C])
- R: fast, shallow respiration
- Pericardial friction rubs or gas and fluid splashing sounds (washing machine murmur): fluid accumulation in the pericardium so we can hear it
- Jugular vein distention and congestive heart failure
- Submandibular and brisket oedema
- Prognosis is poor with these complications
- Penetration of pericardium into the myocardium: sudden death!
Complication of traumatic reticuloperitonitis:
• Traumatic pericarditis
Drainage: exudate from the pericardium with fibrin, plasma, pus, bacteria, blood …
2 black lines: diaphragm at the last rib To calculate the place of puncturing
• Traumatic lienitis
o The spleen is on the upper left corner of the abdominal cavity: the reticulum is under it! so
if object vertically it can puncture the spleen
• The pin has penetrated even in the skin
Prognostic information for TRP
- History and clinical findings
- Abnormal general behaviour
- Spontaneous grunting and groan
- Sporadic onset
- Sudden digestive disorder without change in feeding
- Fever: signs of (acute) inflammation
- Check the hay!
Methods for diagnosis
• Clinical examination methods:
o To elicit a grunt or groan
▪ Reticular pain probes and rectal sleeve
▪ Temporarily prevention of breath
o Sensitivity of the wither’ss region
▪ Kalchschmidt
• Haematology
• Rumen fluid
• Ferroscopy
• Abdominocentesis
• Laparoscopy
• Ultrasonography
• Radiography
• Endoscopy of the reticulumMethods for diagnosis
Reticular pain probes
• Back grip:
o A fold of skin is pulled up with both hands, which forces the back to sink. The stretch will
be painful on the reticular region so excreted on the glands and the cow will grunt
• Pain percussion:
o Heavy rubber hammer toward the area of the reticulum (A) for percussion of the region
(B)
• Pole test:
o Two assistants hold the pole in place (A) and then pull the pole upwards against the cow’s abdomen (B)
o Can’t do it alone
o Start it cranially
• If the foreign body is suspected→at least the back grip, the pole test and pain percussion should be used
• Knee-elbow probe:
o You have to bring yourself into a sitting position and push your el on your knee and if you left up your hand you can pull your hands towards the reticular regions = incudes pain
Methods for diagnosis
Temporarily prevention of breathing
• Rectal sleeve placed over the mouth and nose temporarily prevent the animal from breathing
→ apnoea
→ strong diaphragmatic contractions
→ pain
Methods for diagnosis
Sensitivity of the wither region (Kalchschmidt)
• Touch, displace or pull the skin, or pull the hair gently
