Atony of the rumen in a cow: treatment

Treatment of pancreatic atony in a cow proceeds quickly and without consequences, but only if the disease was diagnosed in a timely manner. At the later stages of development, rumen atony in cattle is accompanied by intestinal obstruction, which can lead to the death of animals from exhaustion.

The disease is classified as seasonal - the peak incidence of scar atony occurs in spring and autumn. At risk are primarily cows, followed by goats.

What is bovine proventriculus atony

Atony of the rumen in a cow is a disease of the digestive system, which is expressed in a weakening of the tone of the muscles of the proventriculus. This leads to the fact that they stop contracting and cause stagnation of undigested food. If treatment is not started on time, the cow will starve and may eventually die of starvation.

Forms of the disease

It is customary to distinguish 2 forms of rumen atony in cows, which differ from each other only in the factors of occurrence:

1. The primary form of atony of the proventriculus develops as a result of disruption of the digestive system caused by gross errors in the organization of animal feeding, lack of walking in the winter season and insufficient water consumption.
2. The secondary form of the disease can occur if any pathologies develop in other organs not related to digestion. For example, scar atony is provoked by metabolic disorders, vitamin deficiency, kidney and liver dysfunction, as well as severe infections.

Causes of proventricular hypotension in cattle

Atony of the proventriculus in a cow can occur for a number of reasons, which include:

1. Irregular feeding, when fasting alternates with intensive feeding of animals.
2. Feeding cattle with heavy feed (straw) or poor quality hay (musty, rotting, damp). It also includes cheap concentrates.
3. Inclusion of spoiled products in the diet of cows: feed, with an expired shelf life, moldy vegetables, sprouted or decaying potatoes.
4. Drastic changes in the diet of cows. Atony of proventriculus in cows in most cases develops in September-October, when the herd switches from fresh feed in pastures to compound feed.
5. Dirty stagnant water or lack of water. An additional factor in the development of scar atony is the supply of cold water to the animals. It is recommended to warm it up at least a little.
6. Uniformity of feeding. You can not feed animals only with combined feed. A full-fledged diet of cows includes feeding with succulent feed.
7. Infection with parasites or ingestion of intestinal infections into the animal's body.
8. Stagnation of livestock. If you do not walk the cows in the winter, the likelihood of developing rumen atony increases significantly.
9. Driving livestock over long distances during the summer months.
10. Excessive industrial noise.

Symptoms of cattle scar hypotension

Symptoms of pancreatic atony in a cow include the following:

• complete or partial cessation of lactation;
• the animal refuses food;
• behavior becomes lethargic, apathetic;
• heat;
• rapid weight loss;
• the cow begins to stale;
• belching stops;
• a seal forms in the scar;
• scar muscles do not contract;
• animal feces are too dense;
• the animal stops defecating;
• diarrhea;
• lack of gum.

The normal amount of rumen contractions in a cow prior to feed intake is 2-3 times within 2 minutes. After eating, this indicator increases up to 4-5 times in 2 minutes. With atony of the proventriculus, the scar is reduced only 1 time at the onset of the disease, in the later stages the contraction disappears completely.

The course of the disease

The medical history of rumen hypotension in cattle suggests the following changes in the animal body:

1. Oxidation of swallowed food in the rumen cavity provokes pathological processes in the digestive system.
2. The ratio of fatty acids is violated.
3. The number of microorganisms in the rumen is reduced. As a result, the digestion of fiber in food is slowed down.
4. In 2-3 hours after ingestion of poor quality feed or spoiled product, ciliated ciliates begin to divide.
5. On the 2nd day, the ciliates begin to encyst.
6. The high concentration of toxins in the stomach kills these microorganisms.
7. Toxic products, when absorbed in the intestine, begin to depress the nervous system of the animal, which causes refusal to eat and cessation of chewing.
8. Interstitial exchange is disturbed.
9. The reserve alkalinity of the blood decreases.

Diagnostics of the atony of the proventriculus in cows

The medical history of most cows with rumen atony begins with the animal stagnating and stopping belching. These symptoms are a good reason to call your veterinarian. Before doing this, you can feel the belly of the cow. In the case of atony of the proventriculus in animals, a thickening of the scar is clearly felt.

When making a diagnosis, there is always a risk that atony may be confused with trauma to the animal. In particular, the physician should rule out the presence of traumatic reticulitis in the cow before making a final verdict.

Also, the absence of contractions of the proventriculus can be caused by damage to the walls of the esophagus and the proventriculus itself. This happens if the cow swallows a sharp foreign object. As with rumen atony, food stops being digested.

Treatment of bovine proventriculus atony

At the first signs of the disease, it is recommended to consult a specialist. An examination by a veterinarian and subsequent consultation regarding further treatment regimen significantly increases the animal's chances of recovery. With an independent choice of treatment methods, errors in determining the dosage of drugs and violation of the recommended diet are possible.

A set of measures to combat scar atony is aimed at solving the following tasks:

• normalization of the secretion of the proventriculus;
• restoration of motor functions of the musculature of the scar;
• stopping food decay in the proventriculus;
• elimination of intoxication processes.

The general plan for the treatment of scar atony is as follows:

1. The amount of food on the 1st day of treatment is reduced to a minimum or completely stopped feeding. At the same time, the cows continue to be given water. It is recommended to add table salt to it at the rate of 10 g per 10 liters of water.
2. On the 2nd day, the animals are fed some greens, vegetables or high quality hay.
3. On the 3rd day, start feeding the combined feed.
4. For a speedy recovery, medicinal talker, which is made from Glauber's salt, can be added to the feed. 150 g of the substance is diluted in 1 l of water and 450-700 g of vegetable oil.
5. From time to time, the area of ​​the scar is massaged with a fist. Massage frequency: 4 times a day for 10-12 minutes.
6. When the disease starts, physiotherapeutic measures are carried out, agreed with the veterinarian.

In addition to adjusting the cow's diet, it is also necessary to select medications for the treatment of sick animals. They are prescribed by the veterinarian.

Most often, the following drugs are prescribed for scar atony:

1. "Proserin". Treatment is combined with the introduction of a special yeast solution into the animal's diet. For this, 100 g of yeast is mixed with 200 g of sugar and diluted in 1 liter of water, followed by the addition of ethyl alcohol (no more than 45-50 ml). The solution is given to cows 1 time per day every 2 days.
2. In case of severe intoxication, cows are injected with magnesium and glucose.
3. Fermentation in the digestive organs is stopped using a solution of "Ichthyol" in a proportion of 15 ml per 1 liter of water. Frequency of use: 2 times a day, every day. You can also use "Protosubtilin".
4. The acid balance is corrected with lactic acid. For this, 30-70 ml of the substance is diluted in 1 liter of water. The mixture is given to sick cows every 2 days.

Traditional methods of treatment include the use of solutions and infusions from medicinal herbs. These include the following plants:

1. Chemeritsa normalizes bowel function. The sick animal is insisted and watered for 2-3 days.
2. Wormwood improves appetite. Infusion is given to cows 2 times a day for 15 g.
3. Cucumber pickle. The recommended daily rate is 300-400 ml.

Forecast

The chances of recovery from stomach atony in a cow are quite high. The prognosis for the success of treatment is especially favorable if the disease was diagnosed on time - in the early stages, the animal recovers in a matter of days.

If the atony of the proventriculus has caused complications in the form of inflammation of the abomasum and intestines, and the book is full, the treatment is delayed for 1-2 weeks. If a disease is detected at later stages of development, its transition to a chronic form is possible.

Preventive measures

In order to prevent the occurrence of atony of the proventriculus in a cow, it is necessary to correctly organize the feeding of the animal. In addition, it is important to adhere to general recommendations for the care of cattle, therefore, prevention of atony of the proventriculus includes the following set of measures:

1. Cows should drink clean fresh water. In stagnant water, into which foreign objects or food particles have fallen, harmful microorganisms will soon develop. When they enter the body of a cow, they provoke the development of atony of the proventriculus.
2. The selection of feed for animal nutrition must be carried out carefully. In no case should you feed your cattle with musty hay, straw, rotting root crops, sprouted potatoes or moldy greens. Of course, providing cows with quality food is costly, however, the cost of treatment after the development of atony will be even higher.
3. The transfer of animals from one type of feed to another is carried out gradually. Abrupt changes in the diet lead not only to atony, but also to general disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract.
4. Cattle are fed in a standardized manner, taking into account the recommended dosages and frequencies, which are calculated based on the age of the animals. Fasting, even for a short time, is especially negative for the health of cows, followed by increased feeding, designed to compensate for the hungry days.
5. Roughage is given to animals only after preliminary steaming or mixing with succulent feed.
6. During the winter months, it is recommended to let the cows go for a walk at least 1-2 times a week. Enough 2 hours of warm-up in order to reduce the risk of developing atony.

Additional information on the treatment of scar atony can be found in the video below:

Reviews on the treatment of atony of the proventriculus in a cow

Conclusion

Treatment of pancreatic atony in cows in most cases is successful. The most important thing is to diagnose the disease in time, since in the early stages the chances of recovery are much higher. If delayed with treatment, atony of the cow's proventriculus can lead to the death of the animal.

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