Content
Cow blockage is a non-communicable disease of ruminant animals. Appears after the interleaf cavities are filled with solid particles of food, sand, clay, earth, which subsequently dry out and harden in the book, forming its obstruction.
What is a cow's book?
The book in the cow's photo will help you imagine what this section of the animal's stomach looks like.
The stomach of a cow has 4 chambers:
- scar;
- net;
- book;
- abomasum.
The scar consists of several muscle layers, divided into two parts by a groove. It is located in the abdominal cavity, on the left. This is the most voluminous section of the cow's digestive tract. Its capacity is about 200 liters. It is into the rumen that food first enters. This section is filled with microorganisms that carry out primary digestion.
The mesh is much smaller in volume and is located close to the diaphragm in the chest area. The job of the net is to sort the feed. Small parts of food go further from here, and large parts are regurgitated into the cow’s oral cavity for further chewing.
After the mesh, small pieces of food are moved into the book.More thorough grinding of food occurs here. This is possible due to the special structure of this department. Its mucous membrane consists of certain folds that resemble leaves in a book. This is where the department got its name. The book is responsible for further digestion of food, coarse fibers, absorption of liquids and acids.
The abomasum is equipped with glands capable of secreting gastric juice. The abomasum is located on the right. It works very actively in calves fed on milk. It immediately enters the abomasum, and the book, like the rest of the stomach, does not work in the calf until it starts consuming “adult” feed.
Where is the cow's book?
The book is the third section of the cattle stomach. It is located between the mesh and the abomasum dorsally from them, that is, closer to the back, in the right hypochondrium. The left part is located closer to the scar and mesh, the right part is adjacent to the liver, diaphragm, and costal surface in the area of 7-10 ribs. The volume of the department is about 15 liters on average.
This position of the book sometimes makes research difficult. As a rule, they are carried out using percussion (tapping), auscultation (listening) and palpation of the organ.
When auscultating a healthy cow, soft noises are heard, which become more frequent and louder when ruminating.
Palpation is carried out by pressing a fist on the intercostal space and observing the behavior of the animal.
Percussion in a healthy animal does not cause a painful reaction, but a dull sound is heard, which depends on the filling of the stomach with food.
Reasons for blocking the book from cattle
Normally, in a healthy cow, the contents of the book are moist and thick. As the blockage develops, it becomes denser and contains foreign impurities.This occurs in situations where the cow has received a lot of dry feed, uncleaned from sand and soil, whole or crushed grain without sufficient moisture. An unbalanced diet, grazing on poor-quality, scarce pastures leads to the fact that the animal consumes roots with the remains of soil along with dry grass. This leads to blockage of the organ. Also, the cow’s book may not work if there is insufficient exercise and during the second half of pregnancy.
Solid, dry food, having entered the book, accumulates in the interleaf niches, disrupting blood circulation and causing inflammatory processes and blockage. Accumulated food debris quickly hardens and dries out as water is sucked out of the food in this part of the stomach.
There are a number of other reasons for blocking a book:
- injuries caused by foreign bodies;
- lack of microelements;
- helminths;
- intestinal blockage.
When calves are transferred to self-feeding, similar digestive problems may occur in young animals. A calf's book gets clogged for the same reasons as an adult's: lack of succulent feed in the diet, insufficient water consumption, roughage that has not been cleared of soil.
Symptoms of book blockage in a cow
In the first hours after the blockage, the cow experiences general malaise: weakness, lethargy, decreased appetite and loss of cud.
One of the first symptoms that indicate a clogged book in a cow is a decrease in rumen contractions. On auscultation the noises will be weak, but by the second day they disappear completely.Percussion will reveal pain in the organ when tapped. Intestinal motility weakens and the cow may experience stool retention. Often, when cows are clogged, their milk yield drops significantly.
A significant overflow of food or blockage of the book causes thirst in the animal, an increase in body temperature, and an increase in heart rate. The cow may moan and grind its teeth. In some cases, convulsions begin and the animal falls into a coma.
What is the danger of a cow leaving a book?
At the very beginning of the blockage, the cow experiences leukopenia (a decrease in the number of leukocytes in the blood), then neutrophilia develops (an increase in the content of neutrophils). The disease can last up to 12 days. If the cow is not provided with qualified assistance during this time, the animal dies from intoxication and dehydration.
What to do if a cow has a clogged book
First of all, when a blockage occurs, the cow should be isolated from the herd, as she needs rest and a special regime of maintenance.
Therapeutic measures should be aimed at liquefying the contents of the book, as well as further movement of food through the digestive tract. Next, you should normalize the function of the rumen, achieve the appearance of belching and chewing gum.
Most often, the following treatment regimen is prescribed when a cow’s book is blocked:
- about 15 liters of sodium sulfate;
- 0.5 l of vegetable oil (administered through a tube);
- decoction of flaxseed (drink twice a day);
- Sodium chloride with caffeine is administered intravenously.
When injecting into the book, the needle is inserted under the 9th rib. Before this, 3 ml of saline solution should be injected into it and immediately pumped back out. In this way, it is determined whether the injection site has been chosen correctly.
If pathology is also observed in the rumen, then rinsing with warm water or a manganese solution should be done and the animal should be given laxatives.
During the treatment of blockage, it is necessary to provide the cow with plenty of fluids, and restrictions on concentrates will also be useful. You need to add more succulent food to your diet. It will be possible to switch to basic nutrition in 2-3 weeks. Walking in the fresh air is important, but without active movements.
If problems with the digestive tract occur in calves, you should rely on the experience of a veterinarian. Treatment must be prescribed by a specialist. As a rule, for calves it will be similar, but the dosage of drugs is less.
The digestive system of cattle is structured in a special way, and even more so of calves. With the transition to full feeding, all parts of the baby’s digestion are activated and the microflora changes. Blockage of the book can occur due to the characteristics of a young body, as well as due to errors in nutrition.
When the first signs of blockage appear, you need to isolate the calf in a separate room, do not feed it, relieve the spasm, for example, with a no-shpa, and call a veterinarian.
Preventing book clogging in cows
After the cow’s book is cleared and the veterinarian prescribes a treatment regimen, the owner needs to review the rules for feeding and keeping the animal. Food should not be monotonous and contain only bulk feed. Industrial waste must first be steamed and mixed with succulent feed.In addition, it is important to enrich the feed with vitamin supplements and microelements. Animals should be provided with regular, daily walks in the fresh air.
Cows should have constant free access to clean drinking water. If there is water mixed with silt in the pasture area, it is necessary to deliver water from the farm and pour it into containers.
Conclusion
Book blockage in a cow is a serious disease of the digestive tract. With careful attention to the animal, a well-planned diet, daily exercise, blockage of the book can be avoided.
