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Traumatic pericarditis in cows is observed due to the penetration of sharp objects into the animal’s chest cavity from the outside and inside, from the esophagus and mesh. Needles, knitting needles, pins, and wire can become dangerous. There are also cases of pericarditis in cows with heart injuries due to fractured ribs or injury to the chest cavity.
What is traumatic pericarditis
The pericardium is a cavity surrounding the heart. It is designed to protect the organ from inflammation and various infections.
Traumatic pericarditis is a complex inflammatory process of the pericardial sac and nearby tissues, visceral and parenteral pericardium. Occurs when injured by foreign objects that can get into the cow's net with feed. The sharp parts of objects pierce the wall of the animal's stomach and move closer to the heart. In this case, the lungs and liver may be damaged, but more often the object injures the heart, since blood moves to it. At the same time, pathogenic microflora penetrates into the wound, causing inflammatory processes in the tissues. As the disease develops, it disrupts the morphological and functional state of many organs and tissues.
By contracting, the stomach pushes the object further and further.Thus, the myocardium and epicardium (the middle and outer lining of the heart) can be injured. As the foreign body moves, the vessels and capillaries are injured, and an accumulation of blood forms between the heart and the sac, which increases pressure on the heart muscle. This causes it to stop.
In addition, as a result of inflammation and irritation, hemorrhage, swelling, cell detachment, and fibrin loss occur. Subsequently, the pericardial cavity is filled with exudate, which also complicates the work of the heart. The amount of discharge can reach up to 30-40 liters.
The liquid is:
- serous;
- purulent;
- serous-fibrous;
- hemorrhagic.
Slowing down the flow of blood through the veins and squeezing the lungs causes rapid breathing. The inflammatory process leads to irritation of the nerve endings, which provokes pain in the cow, disruptions in the functioning of the heart and breathing, and at the same time the functions of the preventricles weaken. Toxins and secreted exudate enter the bloodstream, increasing the animal’s body temperature.
In addition to the causes of traumatic pericarditis, it should be noted that some other factors influence the development of this disease. The main ones are increased pressure on the peritoneum. This can be facilitated by:
- childbirth;
- a cow falling on its belly and chest to the ground;
- blow to the abdominal area;
- increased appetite, which leads to excessive filling of the cow's proventricles.
Often the factor that provokes the development of traumatic pericarditis is severe physical overstrain of the animal.
Signs of traumatic pericarditis in animals
As a rule, traumatic pericarditis occurs in several forms: acute, subacute and often becomes chronic.This disease is also characterized by a dry and effusion phase. The dry phase begins from the moment the cow is injured and continues until fluid appears in the inflamed areas.
With acute traumatic pericarditis in the dry phase, cows develop pain. She avoids sudden movements, may moan, arches her back, and stands with her limbs spread wide apart. During this period of development of the disease, the cow's heart rate increases, contractions of the heart muscle appear, during which a noise is heard during listening, reminiscent of friction.
Next, the dry phase of traumatic pericarditis passes into the effusion stage of the disease. The previously heard friction changes to splashing, which indicates the presence of liquid. The heartbeat increases, but pain, on the contrary, decreases, since the layers of the pericardium are separated by fluid and the inflamed areas do not contact each other.
When pathogenic microorganisms penetrate into the bag along with a foreign object, serous-fibrous inflammation develops, turning into purulent-putrefactive with the appearance of gases. This stage is characterized by deformation of the shirt, filling with cloudy exudate, which contains purulent fibrous masses with a putrid odor.
As exudate accumulates, the pressure on the cow's heart increases and it cannot expand to normal volumes. This leads to poor circulation
This is followed by:
- the appearance of shortness of breath in the animal;
- the liver increases in volume;
- persistent tachycardia is noticeable;
- decreased blood pressure;
- bronchitis develops;
- The mucous membranes of the animal turn blue.
Along with these symptoms, the cow has no appetite, rumination disorder, tympany (swelling of the rumen), milk yield drops sharply, and body temperature rises.
When autopsying cows that died from traumatic pericarditis, exudate is noted in varying quantities (30-40 l). In dry pericarditis, the fluid is fibrous; in the effusion phase, it is serous, serous-fibrous, hemorrhagic, purulent.
In the serous form of the disease, the lining of the heart is hyperemic and minor hemorrhages are visible. In traumatic pericarditis of the fibrous form, there are traces of fibrous masses of a yellowish tint on the pericardial leaves. Purulent pericarditis is characterized by accumulations of turbid fluid. In this case, the pericardial leaves are swollen, red, with small hemorrhages with ulcers. Hemorrhagic pericarditis is marked by the accumulation of hemorrhagic fluid in the pericardium. The epicardium and pericardium are edematous, dull in color with pinpoint hemorrhages.
As the foreign body moves, fibrous cords, abscesses, and fistulas with purulent contents are visible. Sometimes you can find some kind of cord between the shirt, the diaphragm and the mesh. Often at the puncture site you can find the foreign object itself that caused the inflammatory process. It is found in the pericardial region or in the myocardium. In some cases, a foreign object is not found during autopsy.
Diagnosis of traumatic pericarditis in cattle
The diagnosis of acute traumatic pericarditis is made by a veterinarian on the basis of pain and noise when listening to the cardiac region, increased heartbeat, and tachycardia.The effusion phase of pericarditis is characterized by a displacement and some weakening of the cardiac impulse, and upon percussion one can hear dullness of tones, splashing, overflow of the jugular veins, and significant swelling. X-ray determines the enlargement and immobility of the cow's heart, the blurring of the diaphragmatic triangle. In difficult situations, the veterinarian performs a puncture with a needle, which is used for novocaine blockades. The puncture is made on the left, in the middle of the level of the elbow and shoulder joint of the cow, in the fourth intercostal space.
To make a correct diagnosis, the veterinarian should exclude hydrops of the shirt and exudative pleurisy. Dry pericarditis and the initial stage of effusion pericarditis should be distinguished from pleurisy and the acute course of myocarditis and endocarditis. An experienced specialist knows that dropsy occurs without pain in the heart area or increase in body temperature. With pleurisy, friction sounds may coincide with breathing during auscultation.
Treatment of traumatic pericarditis in cattle
Conservative treatment of traumatic pericarditis in cows, as a rule, does not bring the desired effect; more often the animals are sent to slaughter. However, sometimes attempts to treat a cow bring positive results.
As first aid, the animal must be kept at rest and transferred to a separate stall. To prevent the inflammatory process from developing, you need to apply ice to the heart area. All large feeds are removed from the diet, replacing them with fresh grass, hay, and liquid mixtures with bran.If the cow refuses food, artificial nutrition can be prescribed.
Further medical measures should include the following:
- restoration of heart function;
- elimination of inflammatory processes;
- removal of fluid from the pericardial cavity.
After fixing the bag with ice, a glucose solution is administered intravenously.
After carrying out all the necessary therapeutic actions that did not bring a positive result, the cow is sent for slaughter. Sometimes they resort to surgery to remove a foreign object from the animal’s body.
Prognosis and prevention
The prognosis for traumatic pericarditis in cows is usually unfavorable. Most often, animals are culled from the herd. Pericarditis caused by injuries to the thoracic area, such as puncture wounds and rib fractures, is quite treatable.
Preventive measures for traumatic pericarditis include preventing foreign objects from getting into the feed and ensuring safe conditions for keeping cows on the farm. The main preventive measures are to fulfill the following conditions:
- Packages with hay should be unsealed in a specially designated place to prevent wire fragments from getting into the cows' food.
- If the chain is damaged, it must be replaced with a new one.
- Bulk feed should be carefully checked for metal objects before being fed to cows.There is electromagnetic equipment for this.
- If there are frequent cases of traumatic pericarditis in the herd, all cows need to be checked with a special probe. This will allow the foreign object to be removed from the cow’s digestive organs in a timely manner.
- Vitamins and microelements must be added to the feed. This will prevent cows from wanting to swallow foreign objects. With their deficiency, a metabolic disorder develops and the cow begins to “lick” - she constantly licks the walls, the ground, swallowing foreign objects.
- Cows should not be allowed to roam near roads or near landfills and construction sites.
Conclusion
Traumatic pericarditis in cows significantly reduces productivity and often leads to the death of cattle. This disease is difficult to treat conservatively, so it is important to take preventive measures in a timely manner. They will reduce the risk of traumatic pericarditis in animals.
