The cow ate too much crushed wood, what to do (photos and videos)

The cow is a ruminant animal. Their digestive tract is more complex than other mammals, so even minor deviations in the diet are fraught with failure. If a cow's stomach has stopped, it is necessary to immediately identify the source of the problem and begin treatment. Let's look at what exactly can cause stomach constipation, why overeating is dangerous, and how to act in such a situation.

Preventive measures and feeding requirements

In order to prevent digestive disorders in cows, it is important to do the following:

strictly adhere to feeding standards;
use high quality feed;
when switching to other types of feed, observe the principle of gradualness and at the same time give roughage in the form of hay to stimulate the stomach;
add minerals to the feed - salt, chalk;
use vitamin-rich vegetables in your diet - carrots, pumpkin, fodder beets.

Attentive attitude towards the wards, strict feeding discipline will help maintain the productivity and healthy condition of the animals.

Digestive system of ruminants

To successfully breed sheep, you need to have certain knowledge about the structure and functioning of their digestive system. A table that describes feeding norms for sheep of different ages helps you choose the right diet.

Read also: Jellied pie with minced chicken

Sheep are a grazing type of animal with a high feeding capacity. The length of their intestines is 30 times the length of their body. The stomach is multi-chambered.

Compared to other ruminants, sheep make the most efficient use of plant matter growing in the fields. The feeding process of sheep is divided into 3 stages:

mechanical;
microbial;
chemical

Sheep feeding process

Alarming symptoms: reasons for an animal’s lack of chewing gum

Cattle are classified as ruminants. This process, called rumination, is characterized by increased saliva production (approximately 200 liters per day), especially during the consumption of roughage. Through saliva, food is moistened and broken down. In addition, this helps to normalize the acid-base balance in the rumen body.

Many people think that animals chew something all the time, without stopping. However, in reality this process lasts only for 1 hour, then belching occurs. In total, there are 16 such episodes throughout the day.

The disappearance of chewing gum in cattle is evidence of dysfunction in the gastrointestinal tract. Rumination can develop against the background of development:

atony;
tympania;
traumatic reticulitis.

Let's take a closer look at each condition.

Atony

It is important to understand what is the reason for the lack of cud in cows. Usually, an unbalanced diet, the presence of roughage in the diet in excessive quantities, and the ingestion of spoiled food lead to stagnation of food - it is not processed, which leads to the formation of atony. This pathology is characterized by the cessation of muscle contraction in the forestomach. When the disease is particularly acute, the organ stops working completely.

Tympany

If an animal has eaten too much corn grains, clover or alfalfa, the formation of tympania is noted. Most often, the development of this pathology occurs simultaneously in the entire livestock.

Feed processing is accompanied by an increased release of gases, which leads to stretching of the rumen, cessation of stomach function and the disappearance of chewing gum.

Factors that provoke indigestion

The main reason for gastric failure in livestock is the use of low-quality food when feeding.

If food is given in large pieces, it will not pass back through the esophageal canal, but will remain in the mesh. To avoid problems, corn grains should be given peeled, root vegetables should be grated using a coarse grater, and fruits and melons should be cut into cubes no larger than 2x2 cm.

When cows are grazing in a field, it is sometimes not possible to conduct a full inspection of the area for the presence of small objects that the animal may inadvertently ingest along with the vegetation.

Penetration of a foreign object into the cavity of the esophagus leads to its contraction and the formation of inflammation. The main reason for the cessation of stomach function in young individuals is fear. The calf’s body immediately reacts to the influence of external factors and manifests itself in the form of contraction of the walls in the esophagus.

Stomach dysfunction in babies aged 1 month can occur if a bucket is used for drinking. If everything is normal, the cub can take the mother's udder up to 20 times a day to consume milk in small quantities. And liquid food consumed from the bucket penetrates directly into the mesh, which can cause an inflammatory and purulent process.

In addition to violation of feeding and maintenance rules, gastric arrest in cattle can be caused by the following factors:

paresis;
narrowed area in the esophagus;
swelling or swelling in any part of the digestive tract;
introduction of infection;
dropsy in the brain;
leukemia;
tuberculosis.

Moreover, the stomach can be completely or partially blocked. One way or another, this is reflected in the behavioral characteristics of the animal. The cow stops eating food and looks scared. It often swallows air with its mouth slightly open, there is an increase in salivation, and the disappearance of chewing gum, so the individual chews in vain.

Complete blockage leads to the accumulation of gases in the body of the rumen, which causes flatulence and problems with bowel movements. There is an increase in motor activity; the cow attempts to kick herself in the stomach area with her hoof. The occurrence of shortness of breath and bronchospasm is also noted. Breathing becomes rapid and shallow. The mucous membrane becomes cyanotic.

If a partial blockage occurs, the cow only drinks and consumes liquid food. Attempts to swallow dry food are unsuccessful. The jugular groove is compacted.

Spasm in the esophagus at an early stage causes almost no discomfort. Symptoms begin to appear after gases accumulate in the rumen. If you discover signs of the disease, you should immediately contact a veterinarian and begin providing first aid while waiting for a specialist.

Symptoms and signs

If the stomach is not working, it will be visible immediately. In an adult animal or calf, belching disappears, there is no chewing gum, and it refuses to eat. He stands with his head bowed, his mouth slightly open and his jaws moving. The cow fans herself with her tail, breathes heavily, with shortness of breath, and may cough. Nervousness and anxiety appear, and productivity sharply decreases. The temperature rises, the pulse quickens, the intensity of peristalsis of the abomasum and intestinal tract decreases. The animal may experience pain, grunt, moan, and grind its teeth.

What do we have to do?

If it is noticed that the animal has eaten food that was not intended for it, or has been feeding uncontrollably, then you should force it to move as much as possible, give it warm water or chamomile infusion. If there is bloating and no movement in the rumen, massage the left side of the abdomen counterclockwise.

Expert opinion

Zarechny Maxim Valerievich

Agronomist with 12 years of experience. Our best country expert.

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To soften the grain coma, the animal is given vegetable oil to drink. When acidosis increases, give a 5% soda solution in a volume of 5 l/450 g of animal weight.

The rumen may need to be washed. The animal is first given a large amount of water. The procedure is carried out using a hose 2.5-3 meters long and 3-4 centimeters in diameter, the tip is lubricated with fat or oil. The hose is not quickly directed into the rumen; the free end is lowered below the level of the animal’s stomach. Wait until the contents of the rumen gradually come out. In severe cases of the disease, drug treatment is necessary:

droppers with sodium chloride;
glucose injections;
injections of vitamin B1 (thiamine) – 2-5 milliliters 2-3 times a day;
after a few days of illness, antibiotics “Macerobacillin” and “Tetracycline” are needed (100 g twice a day for an adult animal).
ruminators and emetics (“Timpanol”).

Diarrhea in an animal is a positive sign. It indicates that the animal’s body is actively getting rid of toxins, and after 3-4 days there is usually a return to normal nutrition. It’s worse if the animal develops anuria, refuses water, and has no bowel movements. Here you can’t do without installing IVs.

See also Symptoms and diagnosis of paratuberculosis in cattle, treatment instructionsRead

Diagnostics

The initial analysis of the cow's condition is usually carried out by the owner of the livestock farm. After the first signs of a health problem in the livestock, it is necessary to begin diagnosing and analyzing the reasons why the cow was poisoned. Experts emphasize the importance of conducting a quick examination, since within 2-3 hours after poisoning the condition of cattle can noticeably deteriorate.

It is recommended to invite a specialist to carry out an accurate diagnosis and identify the reasons why the animal is sick. This is necessary to understand what exactly the cow was poisoned with and what antidote can be used in this case.

How to help someone who has been poisoned?

First aid for a person who experiences symptoms of an eating disorder after eating cobs is no different from actions for poisoning, the cause of which is related to other food products.

When the first signs of intestinal distress appear, you should:

Rinse the victim’s stomach, completely ridding it of any remaining food.
Give sorbents in the dosage indicated in the pharmaceutical annotation for the medicine.

Gastric lavage for corn poisoning has one feature. It is not recommended to use a probe during this procedure, especially at home. This is due to the nature of the product. The grains can clog the probe hose and thereby cause additional complications in a person’s well-being.

Any of the existing drugs can be used as sorbents - black or white coal, Polysorb, Sorbex, Enterosgel.

After first aid has been provided, the patient should be provided with free access to the toilet, water at room temperature for drinking and rest. As a rule, a poisoned person needs bed rest for at least 24 hours.

It is extremely important to take the recovery process responsibly. Intoxication with corn cobs, like other food products, can have unpleasant consequences, for example, intestinal dysbiosis, dehydration, an imbalance in the balance of substances in the gastric and intestinal juices.

Come in!

WHAT to do if a cow has eaten too much crushed meat. Many people feed cows not only with grass, but also with high-calorie crushed feed (in common parlance, “crushed feed”). If a cow eats too much of this feed, it may cause the cow to overeat. But scientifically it will be called “acute rumen swelling.” The thing is that a whole army of bacteria is involved in processing food in the cow’s stomach. It is necessary to ensure that spoiled feed does not get into the cow’s food, because bacteria in the spoiled feed, once in the stomach, begin to actively develop and lead to the same terrible consequences as when overeating crushed food. The bacteria work, the food is processed and gases are produced, which are expelled through belching. But if a cow eats too much highly concentrated food, then the bacteria will become powerless to process such an amount of food. A lot of gases will begin to be produced, the contents of the stomach will foam and this foam will block the inlet to the stomach. The gases will have nowhere to go and the pressure in the stomach will begin to increase. The digestive system stops working, and toxins will begin to be released from undigested food. Toxins will begin to spread throughout the circulatory system, poisoning the entire body. If you do not intervene in this process, then after a few days the death of the animal occurs. To prevent this situation, the animal must be given a moderate amount of concentrated feed. But this does not guarantee that trouble will not happen. After all, sooner or later a cow can escape from the barn and find food on its own. Therefore, every owner should know the answer to the question - the cow has eaten too much crushed meat, what should I do? If the cow has eaten too much and there are signs of rumen swelling, it is necessary to call a veterinarian. The doctor will do everything that is required of him and save the animal. But if there is no doctor nearby, you must be prepared to help the cow yourself. First of all, you need to get the cow moving - you need to make her run for a long time. This may help your stomach start working again. If this does not help, then drastic measures must be taken - piercing the scar with a needle. You need to pierce it on the left side in the place where it sticks out. Gases will come out through the puncture and an antibiotic (any available one) must be administered through the same puncture with a syringe. The scar can swell to such an extent that it compresses the internal organs, crushes the blood vessels, causing oxygen starvation of the brain, and in especially severe cases, the scar can tear the diaphragm and compress the lungs and heart, leading to the rapid death of the animal.

Methods of inpatient treatment of cattle for poisoning

After the threat to life has been removed, the cow needs rehabilitation therapy. Having relieved the acute condition, the veterinarian prescribes treatment aimed at normalizing the functioning of the affected organs. A set of measures in each specific case is selected taking into account the exact cause of poisoning. However, a number of general recommendations have been developed in veterinary medicine:

The sick individual must be provided with complete rest.
The cow should not be fed for the first 2 days. You can only give plenty of water and mild laxatives, such as tannin, Glauber's salt or castor oil.
On day 3, the cow can be fed liquid food (mash made from flour or finely ground oatmeal). Food is given in small portions and the body’s reaction is monitored.
The return to a normal diet should occur gradually. You can introduce no more than one new product per day.
During the entire recovery period, the cow needs to be given sorbents that bind toxins and remove them from the body.
To normalize digestion, it is useful to include pre- and probiotics in the animal’s diet.

Precautionary measures

To prevent these and other consequences from overeating crushed meat, it is necessary to follow livestock nutrition standards and store feed only in places that are difficult for cattle to reach.

The cow's diet must be balanced. This means that during the day she should receive feed, liquid food, silage, and vitamins. Therefore, you should take all responsibility in preparing and storing feed and rejecting spoiled products. And also give the right amount of water, especially in the winter season. Don’t forget about the daily exercise of cattle.

It is important to keep order in the barn - it should be cleaned regularly. Feed for young animals needs to be thoroughly crushed. You should not leave calves without food for a long time, so that hunger does not occur and they do not attack the food.

Often, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract appear after grazing. Therefore, you must adhere to the following rules:

feed the cattle with roughage before a walk;
choose poor pasture;
if there is a lot of grass, then the animals graze for about 1 hour, no more;
drive the cattle after eating;
be sure to send the cows to the pond.

How to help start a cow's stomach

The cow has eaten too much crushed food - what to do? Sometimes a simple walk helps when digestion stops. The animal should be given a good run to start the digestive system and increase the release of gases.

But if this option does not help, you need to seek the help of a specialist. However, he cannot always quickly come to the rescue. This is especially true for remote villages. But time does not wait; an individual can die in a few hours. Therefore, first aid will be required.

How to start a cow's stomach? There are medications and traditional cures.

Soda solution (dilute 3 tablespoons of baking soda in 1 liter of water) - give to the person several times a day. This method helps get rid of stomach acid.
Vegetable oil - pour in a large amount several times a day. Afterwards, give the animal decoctions of chamomile and mint.
Activated carbon, magnesium oxide - for the removal of gases.
When tympanying, the cow is bathed in a cool pond. Water puts pressure on her body and helps improve gas formation. If there is no pond, the animal can be doused with cold water.
A solution of manganese or vodka with water in a 1:1 ratio in a volume of 1 liter. Administered through a tube. Relieves gases.
Enema with saline solution or laundry soap.
In more severe cases, wash the scar using a special probe or hose. It is carefully inserted into the esophagus and 4 buckets of water are poured through it.
Removing foreign objects from the esophagus using a probe.
Scar puncture - this method is used as a last resort. To do this, a special surgical instrument, a trocar, is used to pierce the skin and the area of the hungry fossa and release gases.

You can also use medications to help digest food:

Enzyme preparations “Macerobacillin” and “Tetracycline” (100 mg twice a day) are antibiotics to eliminate bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. It is advisable to give to an animal that has been sick for more than one day.
Hellebore water and the veterinary drug tympanol are emetics.

In such cases, a specialist usually prescribes thiamine injections and sometimes droppers with calcium salt of hydrochloric acid, glucose. But what to do if the calf has eaten too much feed? In this case, dosages and medications may differ because the young organism may die from the therapy of an adult.

esophageal blockage

What to do if a calf's stomach doesn't work? It needs to be launched. This is possible thanks to plenty of fluids and a fasting diet. Then you can gradually introduce green grass, chopped vegetables, and hay.

Treatment methods

Having noticed the first clinical signs characteristic of scar tympania, it is necessary to provide qualified emergency care to the sick animal as soon as possible. If you do not treat the cow, delay may cost the life of your nurse.

In therapeutic therapy, veterinary specialists use complex techniques that are aimed at stopping fermentation processes in the stomach

It is very important to restore normal peristalsis in the gastrointestinal tract, remove gases accumulated in the rumen and forestomach, normalize digestive processes, and the general condition of the calf and cow. . It is necessary to position the cow so that the front of the body is located slightly higher than the back

In this position, gases will pass through the mouth faster and easier.

It is necessary to position the cow so that the front of the body is located slightly higher than the back. In this position, gases will pass through the mouth faster and easier.

The left side of the cow should be poured with cold water, after which a light circular massage should be performed using a bunch of straw. Place the mouths on the cow to prevent the animal from closing its mouth, or secure the mouth.

If the above procedures do not give the desired result, the animal’s condition worsens, and a metal probe is inserted into its stomach. The cow's mouth is secured with a cord and, having previously lubricated the probe with oil, it is slowly inserted through the oral cavity. When you hit an obstacle, pull the probe back a little, and then reinsert it into the cow’s throat. A correctly carried out procedure promotes the release of gases from the rumen. To prevent the probe from becoming clogged with food particles, clean it periodically.

How to insert a probe into a calf

When most of the gases have been removed, a liter of a mixture of water and vodka in equal proportions (50/50) is poured into the probe. You can also pour in a liter of water, dissolving in it a tablespoon of table vinegar and a spoonful of ammonia or soap.

Depending on their weight, sick animals are prescribed ichthyol in a dosage of 10–20 g, formalin 10–15 ml or Lysol 5–10 ml mixed with 1–2 liters of water.

If the therapy turned out to be ineffective, it was not possible to cure the cow or calf, it is necessary to urgently call a veterinarian who will puncture the scar with a special tube - a trocar. The operation is performed in the area of the left hungry fossa. Without experience, entrust this procedure to specialists.

A veterinarian uses a trocar to puncture a cow's scar during tympany.

After the gases are released, the trocar will remain in the cow’s body for some time. After removing it, you need to thoroughly rinse the wound with an antiseptic solution and warm boiled water. Alcohol can be used for disinfection. The puncture site must be treated several times a day until the wound is completely healed to prevent infection.

To normalize motility and digestive processes, calves and adult cows are prescribed ruminators, probiotics (Emprobio), and enzyme preparations. In the first days after surgery, the feeding regimen should be gentle. Cows are given easily digestible light food. The stomach of bulls and adult cows should not be overfilled with food. After treatment, carefully monitor the health of the animals.

What should I do to prevent bloating from appearing?

Simple rules to reduce the risk of flatulence:

Eating should be slow, with thorough chewing of food, without distraction by extraneous actions.
Avoid quick snacks on the go, smoking, and drinking alcohol.
Limit the consumption of foods that increase gas formation.
Avoid sugary carbonated drinks (there is nothing healthy in them).
Drink enough clean water per day.
Follow a proper diet (fried, fatty foods should not predominate)3.

Before a big feast or when overeating, it is better to take care of preventing bloating* in advance. To do this, you can take Creon® 10000 capsule with food or immediately after it. The active substances contained in the drug help natural digestion, reducing the risk of discomfort and heaviness after eating.

Overeating juicy food

If a cow has eaten a lot of alfalfa, clover, cabbage leaves, beets, potatoes and other succulent food, then increased fermentation occurs in the rumen, which is accompanied by abundant gas formation. Gases inhibit peristalsis of the rumen muscles and other parts of the stomach. The cow's belching reflex disappears. She cannot release gases through the mouth and anus. They accumulate in the upper rumen sac.

Animals lose their chewing gum. Tympania develops. The feed in the rumen stagnates and begins to rot. Intoxication of the body develops.
A cow's belly is hard. When palpating the peritoneum, it experiences severe pain.
The animal behaves restlessly: it kicks its stomach, lies down and quickly jumps up, and constantly fans itself with its tail.
The temperature is normal.
Breathing is rapid.
Foamy saliva is released from the oral cavity.
The cow may cough.

First of all, it is necessary to free the scar from its contents. To do this, the forestomach is washed. For the procedure you will need a probe or rubber hose with a diameter of 45 mm, water, a solution of potassium permanganate or baking soda. Liquid volume – 15 l. Water is poured into the hose through a funnel. To prevent the hose from damaging the esophageal mucosa, it is lubricated with Vaseline.

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The cow's horns are fixed, its mouth is opened, and its head is raised.
A hose is inserted through the esophagus.
Attach a funnel to the hose and lift it up along with the hose.
Pour warm water or disinfectant solution in small portions.
Disconnect the funnel from the hose.
Lower the hose down.
The scar is massaged.
The contents of the proventriculus are poured out of the hose.
The procedure is carried out up to 3-5 times.

If you do not have experience with gastric lavage, you can induce vomiting in the animal. To do this, pull his tongue forward and massage the throat area with his hand. Vomiting is caused by wormwood, hellebore solution: 12 ml of hellebore can be administered intravenously.

Milk helps reduce gas formation in the rumen. It is given in 3-5 liters. Along with milk, they give hellebore tincture, ichthyol 20 ml. The animal is fed a decoction of chamomile, dill, and caraway seeds. It is necessary to keep “Sikaden”, “Antiformol”, “Timpanol” in the veterinary first aid kit. These products collapse gas bubbles and normalize gastric motility. If there are no drugs, then the animal is taken into the river. Gases will escape under water pressure.

If all measures do not help, then they call a veterinarian who punctures the scar. Gases escape through the hole. The animal may faint at this time, but not from pain, but from the rapid release of gas from the proventriculus. Antibiotics are injected through the hole. To normalize the heart rate, injections with caffeine are given subcutaneously, and saline is injected intravenously.

The animal is kept on a starvation diet for 1 day. They only give salted water. You can add baking soda to your drink. From the second day they begin to give hay in small portions. On day 3, finely chopped vegetables and silage. Gradually transfer the animal to normal nutrition.

Why is it dangerous?

The problem of overeating often leads to inflammation of the rumen, because the food eaten first ends up in the rumen. There live a large number of beneficial bacteria that help it digest. As a result of this process, gases appear and are released through belching.

Gradually, the food inside begins to rot and ferment. Pathogenic microflora appears, killing beneficial bacteria that promote digestion. At the same time, it releases toxins that enter the blood. They begin to spread throughout the body, gradually poisoning it.

Overeating threatens the appearance of another problem - lactic acidosis: this is a disease that destroys the liver. Ground cereals, such as corn, barley and other grains that make up the crushed grains, contain a lot of carbohydrates.

Video: how a cow's rumen works

Treatment of corn poisoning

Severe forms of corn poisoning require hospitalization of the patient in the toxicology department.

After gastric lavage with a rubber tube, the patient is administered the following medications:

Saline solutions.

Intravenous drip will prevent dehydration of the body. In this case, positive dynamics are noted when prescribing solutions:

Lactosol;
Acesol,
Disol et al.

When there is no pronounced gag reflex, Regidron or Oralit is used orally.

Enterosorbents. To improve the absorption of toxins, use Polysorb, Atoxil, Smecta or Enterosgel.
Antiemetics. Cerucal or Motilium are particularly effective.
Antipyretic drugs and NSAIDs (Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, Ibuklin, Nimesil, etc.) are prescribed in case of fever and chills with increased temperature.
Probiotics. This group of drugs is intended to restore beneficial intestinal microflora. Therefore, the patient is prescribed one of the following drugs:

Bifiform;
Baktisubtil;
Linux;
Bifidumbacterin.