The cow has a complex digestive system, the work of which depends on many factors. For example, improper or poor-quality food can lead to a common ailment of cattle - atony of the stomach. If you do not respond in a timely manner to the manifestations of this disease, then it can result in gastric obstruction and even death of the cow.

What is this disease

Atony is called the reduction or absence of muscle contractions of the pancreas - scar, mesh, books. As a result of this disorder, the muscles of the pancreas do not fulfill their functions of transferring feed from one department to another. Food is not digested, not absorbed, stagnates and putrefactive processes develop in it. In a neglected form, the ailment ends with the stopping of the functioning of the precancer

The structure of the stomach of ruminants

Reasons for development

The most common cause of this disease is malnutrition:

• only heavy and rough food, for example, a large amount of hay or straw in the absence of succulent feed;
• poor-quality diet - ripe and moldy feed, rotten root crops, base concentrates;
• a sharp change in one type of food to another, for example, the transition from tender grass to dry animal feed;
• ice water or polluted, with a large number of impurities and bacteria;
• the development of infection or parasites in the intestines of the cow.

Important! Quite often, atony develops in the fall, when, after the usual regular grazing and green grass, the cow abruptly switches to compound feeds.

Other factors can also cause ailment:

• long haul;
• transportation of cows in vehicles;
• severe stress;
• increased noise
• lack of regular walking.

Symptoms

The following factors should alert the owner of the cow and become a signal to contact a specialist:

• loss of appetite or an absolute rejection of food;
• lethargy, lethargy, long bedding;
• reduction in the number or complete stopping of burping and chewing gum;
• visible on palpation seals in the scar area from accumulated food;
• change in the consistency of bowel movements - liquid or too lumpy;
• rare bowel movements;
• reduction in milk yield;
• weight loss;
• high body temperature up to 40–41 ° С.

If one or more of these symptoms are noted, then first you should palpate the cow’s stomach well. An overly filled scar, as well as its reduction less than two times in two minutes, most likely indicate hypotension and the need for action.

At the same time, the rate of cattle scar reduction for 2 minutes: before eating - 2-3 times, after eating - 3-5 times.

Diagnostics

To confirm the diagnosis, you must consult a veterinarian who will collect a medical history and conduct a general examination of the cow. In the process of diagnosis, it is important not to take for atony another, no less dangerous, ailment - traumatic reticulitis - a mesh break with a sharp object that has fallen into the stomach with food.

Important! With a mild course and timely treatment for medical care, a cow takes one week to recover. If the abomasum and intestines become inflamed, and the book is full of stagnant food, then it will take up to two weeks for treatment.

During the diagnosis, the veterinarian examines the structure of the scar by palpation and measures the number of its contractions. With a decrease in the number of contractions below normal, organ dysfunction is determined. Next, the veterinarian examines all the symptoms to exclude an infectious, fungal or parasitic lesion. If infection with pathogens is suspected, the necessary tests are performed.

How to treat catarrh atony in cattle

The goal of the treatment of this disease is to normalize the motility and secretion of the departments of the pancreas, restore their microflora, eliminate rotting and remove intoxication. Correct and timely treatment should significantly improve the condition of the cow during the first three days.

Veterinary drugs

The treatment of cattle should be carried out by a veterinarian who has relevant experience and knowledge. To begin with, remove stagnant food from the cow’s stomach. For this, sodium sulfate or sodium bicarbonate (1% solution) diluted in 30-40 liters of water is used. If the cow has low blood pressure, a solution of sodium chloride is injected into the vein, which also helps to reduce intoxication and increase muscle contractions. Having removed food, care must be taken to improve the motor and secretory functions of digestion.

Did you know? Previously, in many European countries, a cow, like some other animals, was responsible before the law on an equal basis with humans. And even more, in the case of a "serious" crime, she could be excommunicated!

For this, a pharmacy infusion of hellebore rhizomes is administered intravenously (about 2-3 ml) or orally (about 5 ml). The ingredients of this drug stimulate muscle contractions well. For oral administration, it is diluted with water and is given orally with a rubber bottle. Normalize metabolic processes will allow intravenous administration of a 40% glucose solution in a volume of about 300 ml and 10% calcium chloride solution (about 150 ml).

About 10 ml of caffeine is injected subcutaneously. In addition, Pilocarpine, Proserin, or Physostigmine can be used for treatment. To stop fermentation and decay in the digestive system, the cow is given “Ichthyol” (15 ml per liter of water 2 times a day) or “Creolin”. Also, fermentation processes normalize the means - Protosubtilin, Matserobacillin and Amilosubtilin.

Folk remedies

For the treatment of atony of the pancreas, you can use alternative recipes, however, taking into account the fact that they can improve the functioning of organs, but not rid the body of toxins. Therefore, before using them, the stomach of the animal should be washed. And, of course, consult a veterinarian first.

Did you know? It is not for nothing that a cow is considered a ruminant, because every minute its jaws make 30–90 chewing movements. Thanks to complex digestion, the average cow gives about 200 thousand glasses of milk in its entire life.

Stimulant

Ingredients:

• pharmacy ethyl alcohol - 50 ml;
• food yeast - 100 g;
• granulated sugar - 200 g;
• pure water - 1 l.

Mix all the ingredients and give the animal. Once again, you can give after 1-2 days, not more than once a day. A well-known remedy for good appetite and motility of the stomach is the pickle of cucumbers, tomatoes or cabbage, which is given 2 times a day for 300-400 ml. You can also use vodka diluted with clean water, limiting its amount to a volume of 100-150 ml per day.

Such a drink well disinfects all parts of the stomach and contributes to their additional contractions. Well restore the reflex function of the pancreas and some medicinal plants. So, tincture of hellebore grass helps the exhaust of gases and stimulates intestinal motility. A tincture of wormwood in an amount of 10-30 ml per day for 5 days will improve appetite.

Walking and massage

To normalize the motility of the pancreas, the cow needs to move regularly. With prolonged lying down, therapy may not show the desired results. Therefore, 2-3 times a day, the cow should be walked in a leisurely and measured step. The duration of the walk should be at least 20-30 minutes. Such motor activity will allow you to quickly restore muscle tone of the pancreas.

Also, a good effect on the healing process is exerted by massages of the left sigh of the cow. Massage should be done in a leisurely circular motion, counterclockwise. The frequency of massage is 3-4 times a day, the duration is 10-15 minutes. It can be carried out in combination with an enema.

Proper nutrition

Until the cow is stabilized, it should not be fed. It is only necessary to give her fresh water to avoid dehydration. You can add table salt in the amount of 10 grams per 12-15 liters of water. Usually such a hungry diet lasts a day.

Food can be given only after cleansing the stomach and relieving inflammation, usually after a day. Mostly it should be fed with fresh grass, chopped raw root crops, high-quality hay. Combined feeds can be administered in very small volumes and only on the third day of treatment. All types of roughage, such as straw, should be absolutely excluded from the diet.

After the approval of the veterinarian, you can add a special therapeutic talker to the feed, consisting of 200 grams of glauber's salt, 400-500 grams of high-quality vegetable oil and one liter of pure water. In addition, it is important that during the recovery period the cow does not overeat and does not overload the digestive system, so for the first time, the amount of food should be limited.

Prevention

The basic rules for the prevention of atony are proper nutrition, good care and conditions of detention. To avoid this ailment, you should:

• feed the cow a balanced and high quality food;
• change one type of feed to another very gradually;
• pre-steam rough and dry food or give along with juicy;
• do not use missing or poor quality food;
• give only clean, fresh and not icy water;
• the frequency and number of feedings should correspond to the condition and age of the animal;
• take the animal out for walks every day;
• monitor changes in the state and behavior of the cow.

Important! The result of an untreated acute stage of the disease can be a chronic atony of the pancreas, which is treated much more complicated and longer.

The treatment of cow atony is a complex process of the work of medicines, the right diet and good care for the animal. The ailment responds well to therapy and with a timely visit to the veterinarian, the prognosis for a full recovery is quite favorable.