Abdo problems in the cow

Abdo problems in the cow

1. Rumen Acidosis

   • Too much starch/sugar in the diet
     • pH decreases
       • Produce too much propionate and butyrate
       • Lactate produced
         • Rumen stasis
         • Change in bacterial population
   • Not enough fibre in diet
     • Not enough saliva produced during rumination
       • Saliva needed for bicarbonate buffer of rumen
   • Acute
     • Sudden ingestion of lots of carbs
     • Life threatening

2. Sub Acute Rumen Acidosis (SARA)

   • More common
   • Causes:
     • Low milk fat and reduced milk yields
     • Laminitis
     • Inappetance
     • Liver abscesses (PM)
     • Coughing up blood and nose bleeds
       • Thrombosis of caudal vena cava
   • High herd culling rate

3. Rumen Bloat (Tympany)

   • Clinical Signs:
     • Distension of left flank
     • Distressed
     • May be recumbent
     • Dypsnoea
   • Frothy bloat
     • Foam in rumen traps gas stopping eructation
     • Lush pasture (clover)
     • May lead to sudden death
     • Treat orally with surfactant
       • Allows foam to disperse
       • Bloat Guard/corn oil/BIRP
     • Take preventative measures
   • Free gas bloat
     • Excessive carb intake
     • Choke
       • Oesophageal obstruction
     • Milk fever
       • Reduced rumen contraction due to hypocalcaemia
     • Lateral recumbency
       • Blocks cardia
     • Lesions of oesophageal groove
     • Relieve gas with stomach tube or rumen puncture
       • Trocar and cannula

4. Traumatic Reticulo-Peritonitis

   • Hardware disease
   • Metal objects eaten and pass into reticulum
     • May penetrate wall of reticulum causing:
       • Peritonitis
       • Pericarditis
         • Splashing sound over heart
       • Liver abscess
   • Drop in milk yield
   • Inappetance
   • Increased temp
   • Arching back
   • Decreased ruminal contractions
   • Withers Pinch
   • Pole test
   • Eric Williams test
   • Rumenotomy to remove wire
   • Slaughter

5. LDA

   • High yield dairy cows
     • Within 6 weeks of calving
   • Caused by high conc/low fibre diet
     • Diet changes made too quickly
   • Clinical Signs:
     • Drop in milk yield
     • Changed appetite
     • Raised ketone levels
     • Weight loss
     • Reduced ruminal contractions
   • Pings on left flank
     • Grid method
     • Could also be due to bloat or rumen collapse
   • Treatment:
     • Roll cow
     • Flank Omentopexy

6. RDA

   • Less common than LDA
   • Much more severe than LDA
     • Can twist to become abomasal torsion
       • Acute intestinal obstruction
       • Compromised blood supply
       • Ischemic necrosis
       • Immediate surgery or slaugter required

7. Caecal Dilation

   • Similar clinical signs to LDA
   • Ping in R paralumbar fossa
   • Treat with medical fluids and high fibre diet
   • May twist causing volvulus
     • Drain surgically