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Asphyxia in cattle most often occurs during calving. Calves die at birth. In the case of adult cattle, this is either an accident or a complication of an illness.
What is asphyxia
This is the scientific name for strangulation. But the concept of “asphyxia” is broader than what is usually meant by suffocation. Asphyxia also occurs during drowning.
In both cases, oxygen ceases to flow into the body, and gas exchange in the tissues is disrupted. Gas exchange during asphyxia is disrupted in both directions: oxygen does not enter the blood, and carbon dioxide is not removed.
Asphyxia leads to disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system and tissue metabolism. Toxic substances form in the blood.
In general, asphyxia is any process in which gas exchange in the body is disrupted. In cattle, it can occur even after eating certain feeds. Asphyxia occurs in cattle and in diseases. Even ordinary shortness of breath due to poor heart function is also asphyxia. In a very light form.
But both animals must belong to the same species.
Causes of asphyxia in newborn calves
The phenomenon of asphyxia in newborn calves is called “stillbirth”. The fetus suffocates while still in the womb. This phenomenon occurs if the baby inhaled amniotic fluid instead of air or the umbilical cord was clamped for a long time.
Most often, the umbilical cord is pinched when the fetus is breech. At birth, the calf walks forward with its hind legs, and the umbilical cord is pinched between its body and the bones of the mother's pelvis. At the moment of birth, all living beings, not only cattle, have exclusively innate reflexes. The cessation of oxygen supply to the baby through the umbilical cord indicates that its head has already emerged. Reflexes “say” that it’s time to take a breath. The unborn calf takes a reflexive breath and chokes on amniotic fluid.
This does not happen when the fetus is positioned head first. By the time the cow's pelvic bones clamp the umbilical cord, the baby's head is already outside.
Determination of fetal position
When the fetal membrane appears from the vulva, look where the soles of the hooves are directed. If the soles “look” down, the presentation is correct and you don’t have to worry. If the soles are directed upward, the fetus may suffocate as the hind legs go forward.
In rare cases, a calf may be born "lying on its back" in the womb. To be sure that it is the soles of the hind legs that “look” upward, after the sheath is broken, the hock joint is felt.
In cattle, as in horses, births are often dangerous due to the babies’ legs being too long. Other “postures” can also affect the appearance of asphyxia:
- front legs bent at the wrists;
- head thrown back;
- head turned to one side;
- hind legs bent at the hocks.
With all these positions, the likelihood of asphyxia in cattle is even higher than with correct breech presentation.
Multiple pregnancy
Twins in cattle are an undesirable phenomenon, but they happen quite often. Even with a successful calving, the second calf can suffocate in the womb and be born lifeless. Since the time interval between asphyxia and birth is quite small, the calf can be pumped out.
It is much worse if the second calf suffocated due to crowding several hours before the onset of labor. The mechanism of asphyxia is the same as with malpresentation: in cramped conditions, the umbilical cord is pinched. The second calf can also squeeze it. In this case, the stillborn fetus will have white corneas, indicating long-term death.
Causes of asphyxia in adult animals
Adult cattle and older calves have many more ways to “hang themselves.” Practice shows that cattle of all ages:
- “hangs himself” on a leash;
- drowns in bodies of water;
- chokes on root vegetables;
- poisoned by poisons that prevent blood oxidation;
- suffocates due to various diseases.
Self-hanging among animals is not as rare as owners would like. Most often this happens with horses, as they are the most timid animals, but cattle are not far behind. Tying cattle by the neck is the most dangerous. If the animal begins to struggle on the leash, the noose can tighten and suffocate it. Sometimes they “hang themselves” while tied next to steep slopes.
Cattle swim relatively well, but usually drown if the bottom near the shore is viscous. Or in a swamp.
Cattle do not have upper teeth. They cannot bite off pieces. The cattle picks off the grass with its tongue, and grabs root vegetables, zucchini, apples and other similar juicy food whole and chews it with its molars.The first time the cattle does not try to chew well, a large piece may get stuck in the throat. More often, because of this, in cattle, blockage of the esophagus occurs, which turns into tympany. But sometimes a large piece pinches the trachea, blocking the path of air.
Asphyxia in cattle can also occur when a probe is pushed through the esophagus to eliminate tympany. Sometimes the probe gets into the respiratory tract.
In case of poisoning, asphyxia occurs if the poisons were from the cyanide group. Most often, livestock is poisoned by grass treated with pesticides. But in ruminant animals, including cattle, poisoning can occur when eating forage grasses:
- Sudanese;
- sorghum;
- wiki.
The glucosides contained in these types of herbs sometimes break down in the stomach of cattle to form hydrocyanic acid.
Asphyxia of this type most often occurs during a fire.
With some diseases, cattle can die from asphyxia:
- pulmonary edema;
- bilateral pneumonia;
- infectious diseases, affecting the brain or causing swelling of soft tissues.
There will be no asphyxia if you start treating the disease in time.
Clinical signs
When first aid is provided to cattle on time, the consequences of asphyxia are not observed. In severe cases and prolonged periods without oxygen, the brain may be affected.
Asphyxia can be external and internal. External asphyxia almost always occurs in an acute form:
- short-term holding of breath;
- attempts to breathe intensify;
- increased exhalation movements;
- complete cessation of breathing due to brain damage;
- the appearance of new rare attempts to breathe;
- final cessation of breathing.
With asphyxia, less noticeable processes also occur, which are revealed only with special observation.The work of the heart muscle first slows down, and blood pressure drops. Then the pressure rises, the capillaries and veins fill with blood. The heart beats faster and the blood pressure drops again.
Usually the heart continues to work for a long time after breathing stops. Sometimes it can beat for another half hour.
After breathing stops, muscle weakness appears. The sphincters relax and urination and defecation occur. Males also ejaculate. Asphyxia is always accompanied by convulsions.
With internal asphyxia, disruption of brain function may occur gradually, and signs of suffocation will be less noticeable. Although in general they coincide with the acute form.
Signs of asphyxia in calves
The main signs of asphyxia in newborn calves occur in the womb. A person sees only the consequences. If the calf suffocates just before birth, it can still be saved. But you need to be able to determine when there is no point in wasting time. Signs of the initial stage of asphyxia:
- swelling of the soft tissues on the head;
- the tongue is blue and falls out of the mouth;
- the mucous membranes in the mouth are swollen, blue or pale;
- when bending the legs, reflex sensitivity is observed.
While the initial form of asphyxia in the calf has not progressed to the next stage, first aid can be provided to it using artificial respiration. If a limp, sagging body with white corneas and porcelain-colored mucous membranes is removed from a cow, the corpse is thrown away.
First aid
If asphyxia in cattle occurs as a result of a disease, it is too late to provide first aid. The disease had to be treated immediately.
For self-hanging, first aid involves cutting the rope around the neck. The animal will either catch its breath or not. But a person is not able to do anything more due to the size of the cattle.
You can only help newborn calves, and even then not always. There are two ways to pump out a suffocated calf.
First option
This path will require 3 people. The survival of the newborn calf depends on the functioning of the heart. In case of cardiac muscle arrest, it will only be possible to ascertain death. Heart function is monitored by the pulse in the femoral artery.
These numbers are used to guide artificial respiration.
The calf is placed on its back on an inclined surface. The head should be below the pelvis. The first person takes the front legs by the carpal joints and moves the newborn's limbs apart and closes them at the same rate as the breathing rate. The second rescuer places his thumbs under the ribs and, synchronously with the first, raises the ribs when spreading the legs to the sides and lowers them when bringing the limbs together. The third pulls out the tongue of a suffocated calf during “inhalation” and releases it during “exhalation.”
This method is suitable for resuscitating a calf on a farm with a lot of staff. But for a private owner who has a couple of heads of cattle, and he services them himself, this method is not suitable. Private owners use the old method of resuscitation.
Second option
The newborn's mucus and fluid are removed from the mouth and respiratory tract. This is usually done with fully alive cubs.
If the liquid has entered only the upper part of the trachea, it is enough to lift the calf and wipe away the escaping water. In more severe cases, the born baby is suspended for several minutes, since with deep penetration of amniotic fluid into the respiratory tract, it is difficult to hold the heavy body in the hands.
After removing the liquid, the baby’s body is vigorously rubbed with a straw rope or burlap for 10-15 minutes. After this, sodium bicarbonate solution 4% is injected subcutaneously or intramuscularly. Dosage: 4 ml/kg.
Deliberately strangling a cow to force it to stand still during veterinary procedures:
Conclusion
Asphyxia in cattle without human assistance inevitably leads to the death of the animal. It cannot save itself.
