Peculiarities of feeding behavior of cattle can lead to diseases, for example, to the development of traumatic reticulitis. This is a non-contagious disease, an inflammatory lesion of the mesh as a result of foreign sharp objects entering it. Let's look at the causes and symptoms of reticulitis, diagnosis and treatment options, the dangers of wall trauma and how to prevent it at home.
Causes of reticulitis
According to the nature of the course, traumatic reticulitis can be acute or chronic. The mesh in cattle is located in the front of the abdomen, near the diaphragm and liver.It is separated from the heart by only 2-4 cm, so sharp objects can injure the pericardium, resulting in the development of reticulopericarditis.
The development of traumatic reticulitis is caused by sharp objects getting into the mesh - metal wire, nails, other metal products and piercing the walls of the organ. Cows grazing on pasture can ingest them along with the grass. Eating is facilitated by the weak sensitivity of the tongue of cattle (small cattle are less likely to swallow sharp objects, since their sensitivity is better).
The disease is diagnosed mainly in animals aged 3-9 years; highly productive individuals and pregnant women are more susceptible to it. Reticulitis is also often found in animals that are underfed, whose diet is inadequate, or whose feeding regime is disrupted. The main reason for eating foreign objects can be considered a lack of mineral elements in the feed. Cows begin to lick and eat various inedible objects.
Objects swallowed with grass and hay remain in the net, much less often - in the tripe and book. Those that have blunt edges and a rounded shape can lie there for a long time without disturbing the animal in any way. Sharp objects, as a result of contraction of the mesh, can partially or completely pierce its walls. When completely pierced, the object moves further and injures the diaphragm and peritoneum. The heart, lungs, liver, and other digestive organs - the spleen, abomasum, and book - may be affected. There are cases when sharp objects are squeezed back into the mesh and then injure its wall in a new place.
Symptoms of the disease
Inflammation develops at the site of perforation of the wall by a foreign body, and infection often occurs, causing putrefactive and purulent processes. Signs of traumatic reticulitis can be different; their manifestation depends on how intense the inflammatory process is, as well as on its duration. If the mesh is incompletely punctured, the disease may be asymptomatic; only a decrease and weakening of chewing gum and belching may be observed.
The acute form of reticulitis (perforation of the wall) in cattle is expressed in anxiety, loss of appetite, atony and hypotension of the forestomach. The animal's temperature increases for a short time and its pulse quickens. Milk yields are sharply reduced. When traumatized, the animal experiences pain when moving, belching, or standing up. It often lies down or moves its feet, and may moan. In the chronic form (which occurs more often), the severity of the symptoms is weak, but they are repeated repeatedly. There is no painful syndrome.
In addition to the symptoms listed above, cows periodically experience tympany of the forestomach and weakened intestinal motility.
How is the disease diagnosed?
Traumatic reticulitis is characterized by a painful symptom, so one of the diagnostic methods looks like this: pass a stick under the cow’s belly and lift it on both sides. The pain that the animal experiences may indicate trauma to the stomach with a sharp object.
A diagnostic method for determining the disease in animals is the introduction of magnetic probes into the proventriculus. Probes not only help accurately diagnose reticulitis, but also remove metal from the mesh. Before the procedure, the cow is not fed for 12 hours, only water is given (2 liters must be drunk before diagnosis).The probe is inserted through the nose, and a chain with a magnet is attached to it in front of the throat. The probe is inserted into the throat and the cow swallows it. The device is left in the grid for a day. Before removing the probe back, the animal is given water again. Remove it carefully in reverse order.
To detect metal objects in a cow's stomach, you can use a metal detector as an alternative to probes. X-ray examination is used.
Technique for treating reticulitis in cows
Conservative and medicinal methods are used for treatment. When conservative, roughage is removed from the diet and the cows are fed with mash, mucous decoctions, which reduce the activity of the mesh. With medication, antibiotics are injected, for example, penicillin in a solution of novocaine. Antibiotics reduce the inflammatory process.
If the object is only in the mesh and has not pierced its wall, it can be pulled out with a magnetic probe. If it is stuck in the wall, you cannot do without surgery. Access to the mesh in cattle is gained through the rumen. The animal is fixed in a pen, local anesthesia is given, antipsychotics and muscle relaxants are used. Through the incision, the mesh is freed from the contents, the metal object is removed, and the cavity is treated with antiseptics. The incision is sutured and also treated with antiseptic agents.
Cow care after the operation, the animal is kept separately for 2 weeks. For the first 3-5 days, you need to reduce the amount of feed consumed. The stitches can be removed 10 days after surgery.
Possible danger
Traumatic reticulitis often leads to the loss of a cow. If a sharp object pierces not only the mesh, but also other internal organs, bleeding may begin.But any damage to the wall does not bring anything good to the animal - inflammation begins at the puncture site, which then turns into suppuration. Blood poisoning and death of livestock may occur.
Preventive actions
It is necessary to clear pastures and walking areas of metal objects before grazing livestock on them. Monitor the cleanliness of feed and hay. Do not graze livestock near highways, landfills, or construction sites.
Feed animals correctly: monitor the content of mineral elements and important nutrients in foods. So that animals do not experience a deficiency of microelements and they do not have a desire to eat inedible things.
On large farms, to prevent reticulitis, animals are given magnetic rings that reliably fix objects inside, preventing them from piercing the wall. Eating wire, nails and other metal objects is not such a rare occurrence. Despite the fact that traumatic reticulitis lasts a long time and has almost no symptoms, it is often possible to help the animal only through surgery. Without treatment, it may die.
