Rumen/Reticulum Disease Flashcards by Alyssa Sorum

What makes up the ruminant forestomaches?

Rumen - fermentation vat
Reticulum - mixing bag, collects heavy material
Omasum - dehydrating

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What is the function of the forestomach?

Process cellulose and carbohydrates into:
- VFAs
  - Acetoacetate (70%)
    - used by liver to generate acetyl CoA and Fat Production
  - β - hydroxybutyrate (10%)
    - used by tissue as ketone for energy
  - Proprionate (20%)
    - Major component in gluconeogenesis
- Proteins
- Amino Acids

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What electrolytes and buffers _______?

H⁺ Liberative via VFA production
- 50L/d saliva
- 80mEq/L of HCO₃
- PO₄ secreted in saliva
K is maintained by dietary intake and salivary secretion.
- Hormone sensitive

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How does the Forestomach develope?

Ruminants are basically monogastric for 4-6 weeks
- Exposure to forages stimulate the development of the rumen through mechanical irritatoin
Age - Abomasum:Rumen)
- Birth-4wk 1:0.5
- 8wks 1:1
- 12wks 1:2
- Adult 1:9

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How do calves digest milk?

Esophageal Groove
- shunts milk from esophagus to abomasum
- suckling stimulates groove to function
Failure of Esophageal groove leads to accumulation of milk in immature rumen
- due to weakness/overloading function (tube feeding)

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What causes Rumen putrefaction?

Ileus, weakness
Indegestion
Acidosis
Bolus (Tube feeding)

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What is Rumen motility?

2 reticulorumen contractions
- Independent of each other
  - Primary: mixing - weaker
  - Secondary: eructation - stronger
- 2 primary : 1 secondary
Acusultate 1-3 Primary contractions /2minuts

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What Excitatory Input goes into rumen motility?

Low threshold tension receptors
- Reticulum wall - stimulated by mild distension (during rest phase)
Buccal receptors
- Mouth - stimulated during chewing
Acid receptors
- Abomasum - stimulated by increased acidity
Tension receptors
- Cranial rumen sac - stimulated by increased gaseous pressure

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What inhibitory input is associated with Rumen motility

High threshold tension receptors
- Reticulum & cr. Sac - stimulated by bloat
Tension receptors
- Abomasum - stimulated by abomasal distension
Chemical receptors
- Reticulum, rumen - stimulated by increased VFA and toxins
Pain receptors
- Anywhere in the body

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What is the vagus nerve? what does it innervate?

Cranial Nerve X
Divides into 2 branches as it passes through the diaphragm
- Dorsal branch: Rumen, reticulum, omasum
- Ventral branch: Abomasum
Sympathetic control: celiac ganglion

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What are the classifications of vagal syndrome?

Type 1: Failure of eructation or free gas bloat
Type 2: Omasal transport failure
Type 3: Abomasal impaction
Type 4: partial obstruction of the stomach

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What is being evaluated when looking are rumen fluid?

pH
Protozoa (visual)
Bacteria (New Methylene Blue)
Chloride Concentration when suspecting abomasal outflow obstruction

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What are the challenges of getting rumen fluid through an oral aspiration?

Overcoming salivary pH contamination when passing tube
- sample may be falsely alkaline
Getting tube into more fluid portion of rumen

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How is Rumenocentesis done?

Prepare a small area in the cranial lower let flank
Use a large bore needle of sufficient length to reach through the body wall and into the rumen 16ga to 14ga; 2inch
Aspirate 10ml of rumen fluid

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What are the advantages and disadvantages to rumenocentesis?

Advantage: 1 person operation
Disadvantages:
- difficult to recover large enough volume of fluid for full analysis
  - good for pH analysis
- Risk of peritonitis/ omental bursitis

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How should a rumen fluid sample be handled?

Attempt to keep the sample at body temperature for evaluation
- protozoa are very sensitive to temp. change
Measure pH
put 10ml in test tube for the Methylene Blue Reduction test
Put a drop of fluid on a warm slid, cover and examine at 10x for protozoa
Set aside a small amount for chloride determination if needed

How does diet effect ruminal pH?

Exclusively forage: 7.0-7.5
Mixed grain/hay: 6.5
High concentrate: 5.5 - 6.5

How do problems with the forestomach affect rumen pH?

Protein increases pH
- Tissue (placenta)
- NPN/Urea Toxicity
Carbs decrease pH
- Acidosis in grazing animals
- Treatments: milk replacers to mature ruminants

What is the methylene Blue reduction test for?

Measure of bacterial activity, especially ability to break down carbohydrates
Percentage of concentrate in the diet will effect the time needed to reduce the dye

What is Rumen Tympany?

Free Gas Bloat
Frothy Bloat
Rumen is continuously producing gas (methane) as a by-product. Accumulated gas gathers dorsally and is eructated off
Processes that interfere with eructation result in distension of the rumen (dorsal left paralumbar distension)

What is Free Gas Bloat?

Causes:
- interference with rumen motility
- Obstructions at the cardia or esophagus
  - papilloma at the cardia
  - esophageal choke
Treatment:
- Stomach tube passed into the rumen results in complete deflation of the rumen

What causes Frothy Bloat?

Number of factors affecting the formation of stable froth
- Water content of plants such as Alfalfa, Clover (effect on saliva production)
- Soluble proteins in plants contribute to the surface tension of fluid in the rumen
- Population of slime-producing bacteria and mucinolytic bacteria proliferate as the pH approaches 5.4 (feedlot bloat)
Gas production continues but the soluble proteins, denatured by pH and affected by the slime-producing bacteria, get beaten into a meringue-type foam
- foam traps the gas so that it can’t be eructated
- more gas forms and the rumen distends

What are the clinical signs of Tympany?

Distension of the abdomen, especially the left paralumbar fossa
Respiratory distress
Elevated heart rate
Deaths due to asphyxia

How is tympany diagnosed?

Pass a stomach tube and probe for gas pockets
- eliminates choke and distal esophageal obstructions
Aspirate rumen contents for analysis
- looking for frothy fluid

What is the treatment for tympany?

* Tube and relive free gas bloat * Consider rumen fistula for recurring gas bloat * For frothy bloat - change the surface tension of the contents * Poloxalene, mineral oil, vegetable oil, (turpentine) * Increase saliva production * tie a stick or gag across the mouth (owner treatment) * Consider rumenotomy

How can bloat be prevented?

* Limit grazing in alfalfa/clover fields * use of poloxalene blocks for pastured cattle * feed dry hay along with grazing in problem pastures * Spray forages with surfactants

What is indigestion in cattle?

* Any dysfunction of reticulorumen * 1° - direct problems * Abnormal motor function * nervous or musclular * Scratch or chemical (rapid diet change) * 2° - Indirect problems * systemic disease affecting muscular or nervous or microbes

What are the signs of ‘simple’ indigestion?

* Partial to complete inappetence * secession of ruminations * Changes in fecal character * can be diarrhea or more firm * Loss of striated ruminal contents (succuss) * lethargy

What is the treatment/prevention for ‘simple’ indigestion?

* Treatment: most spontaneously cure w/in a few days * rumen transfaunations * collected from fistulated cow or slaughter house cow * Probiotics: *lactobacillus* products * Diet adjustment: hay only for a few days, reintroduce grain slowly * Prevention: * Ration management, Bunk reading

What is D-lactic acidosis ('grain overload')

* Ingestion of increased quantities of fermentable CHO or in a form that is more readily fermented can result in changes in proportions of rumen bacteria, resulting in production of large amounts of D-lactic acid * Fermentable CHO is broken down by *Streptococcus bovis* which produces acid and lowers the rumen pH to 5.0 * At pH 5, *Strep bovis* dies off and *Lactobasillus* proliferates. * further lowers pH to less than 4.5 * D-lactic acid is absorbed systemically * L-lactic avid is metabolized by the body

What are the clinical signs of D-lactic acidosis?

* Distension - fluid succussion in rumen * Dehydration - due to pooling * Diarrhea - mild or later stages * Depression * Dementia - affect of acidosis * Death

How is D-lactic acidosis diagnosed?

* Rumen fluid analysis * pH \<5.0 * No protozoa * Systemic metabolic acidosis * blood pH \<7.2 * Clinical history of grain engorgement

What is the treatment for D-lactic acidosis?

* Mild cases: * remove feed, lavage rumen, administer rumen buffers * follow-up with transfaunation * Severe cases * Treat metabolic acidosis, rumenotomy, buffers * follow-up with transfaunatoin, antibiotics * Watch for signs of rumenitis

What are the common sequela of D-lactic acidosis?

* Rumenitis with mycotic infection * Seeding of the liver with rumen bacteria (liver abscess * Caval thrombosis * Necrotic, hemorrhagic omasitis

What is Traumatic Reticuloperitonitis or reticulopericarditis?

* Reticulum is a small, honeycombed sac lying under the opening of the esophagus into the rumen. Serves as a muscular bag that contracts to mix rumen contents. Also acts as repository for heavy objects that the animal eats (rocks and metal) * Contraction of the reticulum can force sharp objects through the wall

What are the clinical signs of Hardware/TRP?

* Both * Inappetence * No ruminations * Signs of abdominal pain * winged out elbows * bruxism (teeth grinding) * reluctance to rise or lie down * Dramatic fall in milk production * Hardware * W/ Pericarditis - signs of right heart failure * Jugular distension * splashy heart sounds * brisket edema * Fever

How is Hardware diagnosed?

* Abdominal pericentesis * hyperfibrinogenemia * Radiographs of the reticular area * Pericardiocentesis * Leukogram * PE: * Withers pinch * winged elbow * mild fever * Ultrasound: * inflammatory fibrinous changes and abscesses canb e imaged * Cannot image magnets and foreign bodies

What is the treatment for Hardware?

* Left flank laparotomy/rumenotomy * most effective within the first week post penetration * Administer a magnet * Systemic antibiotics * Elevate the front quarters of the cow * Pericardiostomy