Ruminant stomach conditions Flashcards
What is the withers test?
Grasp skin over withers – should dip
Penetrating FB → refuse to move or
grunt
What is the bar test?
Apply upward pressure behind
xiphisternum
Slowly raise and quickly drop
Place stethoscope over trachea
Penetrating FB → grunt
What is the Eric Williams Test?
Can’t be performed if rumenostasis
Place stethoscope over trachea
Concurrently place hand in left
sublumbar fossa
Grunt at start of the A ruminal cycle
What is the knee/ fist test?
Sudden upward force to xiphisternum
Place stethoscope over trachea
Penetrating FB → grunt
How would you do rumen fluid analysis?
Nasogastric tube, Oral stomach tube
Care to avoid saliva contamination
Rumenocentesis
ventral sac, 18g 3.5inch spinal needle
Colour – normally green/brown
pH
Dairy 5.5 – 6.5, Suckler 6-7, Anorexic 7.5-8
Sedimentation – measures microflora activity
Protozoal activity – visual assessment of motility
Gram staining – should be mostly gram –ve
Methylene blue reduction – decolourise <3mins
Rumen fluid chloride <30mmol/L
What are the reticulorumenal motor disorders?
Frothy/ free gas bloat
Traumatic reticuloperitonitis
Reticulitis/rumenitis
Vagal indigestion
Failure of omasal transport, Failure of
pyloric outflow, Chronic bloat
What are the abomasal disorders?
LDA
RDA +/- volvulus
Abomasal ulceration
What are reticulorumenal fermentative disorders?
Inactivity of rumen microflora
Simple indigestion
Lactic acidosis
Putrefaction of rumen ingesta
What are abomasal disorders?
LDA
RDA +/- volvulus
Abomasal ulceration
What are obstructive disorders?
Obstruction of the cardia
Obstruction of the reticulo-omasal orifice
What is bloat?
- Build up of gas in rumen – produced in process of digestion
- Normally lost by eructation
