One of the diseases of the gastrointestinal tract in cows is displacement of the abomasum, characterized by a change in the anatomical position to the right, more often to the left, filled with gases and liquid. During pregnancy, the uterus displaces the abomasum. After calving, it must return to its normal position, which increases the risk of disease. To diagnose abomasum displacement in cows, determine symptoms and further treatment, you should understand the causes of the disease.
What is abomasum in a cow?
Abomasum, or glandular stomach (lat.abomasus) is a section of the stomach of ruminants in which digestion occurs under the influence of a digestive enzyme. In adults, the abomasum is located in the lower right part of the abdominal cavity under the right hypochondrium. The thin part of the abomasum is connected to the small intestine, and the wide part is connected to the third section of the stomach (book). The lining of the glandular stomach is covered with epithelia that form folds.
Displacement of the abomasum (lat. dislocatio abomasi) is a condition in cattle when the abomasum, expanded by gases, liquid or a combination of them, changes its anatomical position. There are two types of displacement: left-sided and right-sided.
The gases formed inside expand the size of the chamber of the glandular stomach. In advanced cases, it stretches and takes up a lot of space in the animal’s peritoneum. In most cases, displacement is observed after childbirth, since during pregnancy the uterus increases in size and displaces the glandular stomach. A number of reasons contribute to the development of the disease:
- hypotension of muscle tone of the stomach or intestines;
- deposition;
- ataxia – disorder of muscle movements;
- difficult birth and complications after calving;
- insufficient energy in feed;
- hypocalcemia;
- poor rumen filling.
But the main reason for the displacement of the rennet is considered to be an unbalanced diet, improper nutrition, and feed capable of rapid fermentation.
Approximate feed intake:
DM (dry matter), % | Humidity, % | NDC (neutral detergent fiber) in dry matter, % | Crude fiber in dry matter, % | Starch and sugar in dry matter, % | Crude protein in dry matter, % | PERSON, MJ/kg DM (feed nutritional energy) | |
1 dry period (60-21 days before birth) | 30 | 40-55 | 25 | 20 | 15 | 12 | 5,5 |
2nd dry period (20 days - birth) | 35 | 40-50 | 25 | 18 | 20 | 14 | 6,5 |
Neonatal period (1-10 days after birth) | 40-55 | 30-35 | 30 | 16 | 26 | 16 | 6,9 |
According to the table, you can calculate the cow's diet to avoid abomasum diseases. When there is an excess of dry matter in the feed or overeating, the release of partially digested food into the abomasum increases. The gastric chamber becomes full, the movement of chyme stops, and gases are formed. Often displacement occurs due to the presence of finely divided parts and concentrates in the feed.
Symptoms of the disease
Clinical manifestations of displacement begin in the first four weeks after calving, in 15-20% - immediately after delivery. Main symptoms:
- disturbance or complete lack of appetite;
- dehydration;
- rarely chewing gum;
- milk productivity decreases;
- bloating of the abdominal cavity, accompanied by colic;
- rare bowel movements;
- pasty, dark green stool with mucus and a specific odor;
- acetonemia;
- rumen hypotension.
With a twisted right-sided displacement, the pulse increases to 140 beats/min. The pain due to colic is severe, the animal begins to kick in the stomach and kicks. If the disease is not diagnosed in time and timely treatment is not started, then intoxication of the body will develop and the animal will die.
Diagnostic measures
This disease is common in highly productive cattle in Western Europe, Canada and the USA. Morbidity analysis accounts for 1% to 5% of all cow diseases.
Left-sided displacement is diagnosed in approximately 85%, and right-sided displacement in about 15% of all cases of displacement.
To make an accurate diagnosis and determine the displacement dislocation, three diagnostic methods are used:
- Palpation - first palpate with fingers and then press forcefully under the right rib. A painful reaction upon palpation indicates an enlarged stomach or torsion.
- Percussion - when tapped, the percussion tympanic sound is clear and loud, which indicates fermentation, fullness and accumulation of gases.
- Auscultation - when listening with a stethoscope, crunching sounds appear, which arise due to the bursting of gas bubbles in the tissues.
For reliability, a blood test is taken from a vein to identify the degree of accumulation of ketone bodies and changes in other metabolic processes in the animal’s body.
How to treat disease in cattle
Treatment is possible in two ways: non-surgical therapy and the surgical route.
Non-surgical treatment includes a number of measures:
- Solutions of salt, glucose and painkillers are administered intravenously.
- The cow should be hungry for 1-2 days.
- The abomasum is returned to its correct anatomical position.
- The attachment is fixed.
Non-surgical treatment is ineffective, so the main method is surgery, which provides up to 95% of a positive outcome after surgery. During surgical intervention, the walls of the abdominal cavity are cut in the right hypochondrium, gases are removed, the abomasum is returned to the correct anatomical position and secured with ligatures.
Possible complications
Changes in the anatomical position of the abomasum contribute to milk loss and ketosis. Intestinal volvulus may occur, which will lead to the death of the cow.
Prevention of the problem
The main prevention of the disease is the organization of proper nutrition.The preferred diet structure is a fiber content of at least 18% of dry matter, concentrated feed - no more than 45%. In order to prevent displacement of the abomasum, it is necessary to prevent and immediately treat the following diseases:
- milk fever;
- myometritis;
- mastitis;
- retention of placenta, which reduces food intake.
It is believed that cows lying on their left side are less susceptible to displacement. Displacement of the abomasum in pregnant cows, as well as during lactation, in most cases, occurs due to improper nutrition. A balanced diet will prevent gastrointestinal diseases and increase the productivity of the cow.