Lecture 1: Ruminant Anatomy and Physiology Flashcards
What is the order of the flow of grass/food in terms of the GI compartments in the cow?
- Rumen 2. Reticulum 3. Omasum 4. Abomasum
In the newborn calf (A): • Large ______ more important for milk digestion rather than fermentation
abomasum
In the 5-year-old cow (B): • The _____ is large and occupies the entire____ side of the abdomen. • The _____ is pushed cranially
-rumen; left -liver
In a 6-year-old heavily pregnant cow (C): • The uterus displaces the rumen _____ and the abomasum _____
rumen dorsally abomasum cranially
_____ _____ allows suckling calves to bypass to _____
Oesophageal groove; abomasum
When does the rumen become functional in calves?
once grain is introduced!
What organism is most responsible for digestion throughout the rumen?
bacteria
What do bacteria digest?
cellulose
True or False: Bacteria can be seen with a light or an electron microscope
False: only electron, not visible to naked eye
What microorganism controls bacterial population?
Protozoa
_____ aids bacteria with cellulose digestion
Fungi
Is there a small or large amount of fungi in the GI tract?
small
This is called a ______?
Papple
Upon rumenal ausculatation, these 3 things can be determined?
• Rate and strength of rumen contractions
• Rumen volume
• Nature of rumen contents
With reticuloruminal motility respectufully, the primary stage is called the _____ cycle and the secondary stage is called the ______ cycle
- primary: mixing
- secondary: eructation
The closure of this structure is associated with suckling milk
esophageal groove
________:
complete absence of reticuloruminal motility
Atony
_________:
reduction in frequency OR strength of primary contraction
hypomotility
the 3 causes of atony is?
- Absence of…or increase in….?
- Direct depression of…?
- Failure of the….?
- absence of excitatory inputs or increase in inhibitory inputs to the gastric centre of the hypothalamus
- direct depression of the gastric centre
- failure of the vagal (nerve lesion) or motor pathways (hypocalcemia
the 3 causes of hypomotility is?
- Reduction in…?
- Increase in …?
- Weakness of the …?
- reduction in excitatory drive to gastric center
- increase in inhibitory inputs
- weakness of the motor pathway (hypocalcemia/hypokalemic)
Strength of the primary mixing cycle is determined by observing _____ and ______ of sounds
observing movement and LOUDNESS of sounds
Frequency of ______ ______ indicates the overall health of the ruminant
primary contractions
In the secondary eructation cycle. Why would the cardia potentially remain shut?
• Cardia will remain firmly shut if foam or fluid in contact
When you auscultate is it easy to differentiate between primary and secondary cycles?
NO
Rumination allows further breakdown of food and addition of large quantities of _____ which acts a _____
saliva which acts as a buffer
When performing internal ruminal palpation the ______ aspect of the rumen should be assessed for _______ and ______
When performing internal ruminal palpation the caudal aspect of the rumen should be assessed for volume and consistency
Decreased amount of feces could be due to functional ________ or decreased feed intake
obstruction
Color of the feces is influenced by composition of diet but may also reflect _______ ______
undigested blood
Odorous feces could be due to abnormal _______
fermentation
label the layers
- Gas cap (blue)
- Ruminated layer (Green)
- Light Liquid (Orange)
- Heavy Liquid (purple)
Consistency of feces is associated with ______ status and ____ ____ of ingest
hydration; transit time
In terms of degree of digestion, _____ _____ indicate rapid turnover; ____ plant particles prolonged rumen turnover; numerous corn kernels indicate _____ _____ consumption
In terms of degree of digestion, large fibers** indicate rapid turnover; **fine** plant particles prolonged rumen turnover; numerous corn kernels indicate **excessive grain consumption
What are 2 ways to examine rumen fluid (also state the best most accurate way and why?)
- Ororuminal collection (affected by saliva contents and could contaminate)
- Rumenocentesis (BEST WAY) not affected by other aspects of priximal GI track or saliva
WHy should rumen samples be evalated directly after collection?
To minimize cooling and air exposure on PROTOZOAL activity
Transportation of ______fluid for long distance must be done in a special container called? (2 answers)
luminal; double jacket container
Estimation of chloride and ammonia concentrations can be delayed up to _____ hours in room temp and up to ____ hours in the refrigerator.
Estimation of chloride and ammonia concentrations can be delayed up to 9 hours in room temp and up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
What kinds of chemical chrateristics can we assess from ruminal fluid?
- PH
- _______ digestion test
- _______ digestion test
- _______ reduction test
- Rumen fluid ______
- PH
- Cellulose digestion test
- Glucose digestion test
- Nitrate reduction test
- Rumen fluid chloride
What type of characteristic is sedimentation activity test for ruminal fluid
physical characteristics
What are the 2 colors that are normal for rumen fluid and what does it indicate they ate?
- Olive to brownish green (HAY)
- Yellowish brown color (grain or silage)
What are the 2 colors that are abnormal for rumen fluid and what does it indicate they ate?
- Black/green: ruminal stasis
- milky gray / brown: lactic acidosis
What does it mean when the ruminal sample is watery?
anorexia
What does it mean when the rumeninal sample has excess froth
frothy float or vagus indigestion
What does it mean when the ruminal fluid is slightly viscous
normal
what does it mean when the ruminal sample smells acidic
lactic acidosis
What does it mean when the rumeninal sample has a rotting odor
rumen putrefaction
What does it mean when the rumeninal sample has an aromatic odor
normal
Cattle patient comes in and you suspect a problem with their rumen, you want to perform a sedimentation activity test to evulaute the microfloral acitivity….after 4-8 minutes, theres no sedimentation or flotation….what does this likely indicate?
frothy bloat or vagus indigestion
Cattle patient comes in and you suspect a problem with their rumen, you want to perform a sedimentation activity test to evulaute the microfloral acitivity….after 4-8 minutes,it very rapidly in less than 3 min demonstrated sedimentation or flotation….what does this likely indicate?
inactive micro flora or ruminal acidosis (Vagal indigestion) not frothy more sludge like
In terms of feeding concentrate or TMR when is the best time after feeding these to analyze the rumen fluid?
Best measured 2-4 hours after feeding concentrate or 4-8 hours after offering a TMR
What is the normal pH to be expected from grass fed cows (beef cows)?
6-7
What is the normal pH to be expected from cows fed TMR (dairy cows)?
5.5-6
Regardless of beef or dairy….if the rumen fluid has a pH lower than 5.5 what does this indicate?
lactic acidosis
What CHEMICAL test would you use for ruminal flora and fauna if assessing for ANEROBIC FERMENTATION
Methylene blue reduction test
What CHEMICAL test would you use for ruminal flora and fauna if assessing for digestion of fibers?
cellulose digestion test
What CHEMICAL test would you use for ruminal flora and fauna if assessing for digestion of carbs?
glucose fermentation test
If someone evaluated the rumen fluid by using a nitrate reduction test what can you conclude they were assessing for in terms of digestion of what?
digestion of protein
Indication of anerobic ruminal bacteria when chemically evaluated means you would be using method of analysis?
Methylene blue reduction
- When you are performing the methylene blue reduction method of analysis how much rumen fluid do you add to the solution and state the percentage concentration of the solution?
- What is normal and what is inadequate and if inadequate what do you need?
- 10 ml fresh rumen fluid added to 0.5 ml of 0.03% solution-time taken to clear solution is measured
- Normal: 2-6 minutes
- Inadequate: > 10 minutes perform a transfaunation
What is transfaunation?
rumen fluid from a healthy cow and transplant into a unhealthy rumen of another cow
How many days does a cellulose digestion test take and is this for everyday cows or cows worth a lot of money?
FOR EXPENSIVE COWS, not every cow is worth all dat money girrrrl!
takes 48 hours and $$$$$
For the glucose fermentation test is measures _____ the ability of ruminal flora to _____ glucose through measuring the _____ of formed _____
For the glucose fermentation test is measures indirectly the ability of ruminal flora to ferment glucose through measuring the volume of formed gas
WHat does the glucose fermantation indicate if there is little or no gas formation?
inactive microflora
What is the normal microflora in ml of gas production per hour with the glucose germentation test? How long till we read the results
1-2 ml of gas production per hour
read the results after 30-60 min
What should the normal ph of a dairy cow be?
5.5-6
What do you measure ruminal fluin in with the nitrate reduction test? What is the normal
measured in a supernatant of a centrifuged sample; normal is 30 mEq/l
What 3 things are indicated if the nitrate reduction test indicates elevated levels?
Abomasal disease
Abomasal reflux
Obstruction of intestinal flow
For analysis of protozoa in rumen fluid what test do I use and how much should I be looking for?
>40 protozoa/field (40x)
Qualitative or quanitative is more commonly used to analyze rumen fluid
qualitative
What is the best imaging modality to view the reticulum?
U/S
Hardware disease is also referred to as?
Traumatic reticulopericarditis
True or False: percussion and auscultation; abdominocentesisl and bloodwork can all be used in the clinical assessment of the abomasum?
True
