Ruminant stomach conditions

Question 1

What is the withers test?

Answer 1

Grasp skin over withers – should dip
Penetrating FB → refuse to move or
grunt

Question 2

What is the bar test?

Answer 2

Apply upward pressure behind
xiphisternum
Slowly raise and quickly drop
Place stethoscope over trachea
Penetrating FB → grunt

Question 3

What is the Eric Williams Test?

Answer 3

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

Question 4

What is the knee/ fist test?

Answer 4

Sudden upward force to xiphisternum
Place stethoscope over trachea
Penetrating FB → grunt

Question 5

How would you do rumen fluid analysis?

Answer 5

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

Question 6

What are the reticulorumenal motor disorders?

Answer 6

Frothy/ free gas bloat
Traumatic reticuloperitonitis
Reticulitis/rumenitis
Vagal indigestion
Failure of omasal transport, Failure of
pyloric outflow, Chronic bloat

Question 7

What are the abomasal disorders?

Answer 7

LDA
RDA +/- volvulus
Abomasal ulceration

Question 8

What are reticulorumenal fermentative disorders?

Answer 8

Inactivity of rumen microflora
Simple indigestion
Lactic acidosis
Putrefaction of rumen ingesta

Question 9

What are abomasal disorders?

Answer 9

LDA
RDA +/- volvulus
Abomasal ulceration

Question 10

What are obstructive disorders?

Answer 10

Obstruction of the cardia
Obstruction of the reticulo-omasal orifice

Question 11

What is bloat?

Answer 11

• Build up of gas in rumen – produced in process of digestion
• Normally lost by eructation