Forestomach diseases

Question 1

What nerve innervates the forstomaches and the abomasum?

Answer 1

The vagus nerve

Question 2

When you percuss the paralumbar fossa, what sound is made with free gas bloat?

Answer 2

A lower pitch “bonk”

Question 3

What fails in order to cause free gas bloat?

Answer 3

Failure of secondary contraction (eructation)

Question 4

How can you relieve free gas bloat and can it re-occur?

Answer 4

Pass a stomach tube

Yes it can re-occur

Question 5

What occurs with frothy bloat?

Answer 5

Ruminal gasses become trapped within abnormally viscous digesta

Question 6

What usually causes frothy bloat?

Answer 6

Feedstuffs like lush legumes, clover, and winter wheat

Question 7

What is in higher concentrations in frothy bloat as opposed to regular rumen fluid?

Answer 7

Chloroplast membrane fragments, soluble proteins and fine particles

Question 8

How does frothy bloat affect the neural receptors near the cardia?

Answer 8

Frothy bloat blocks the neural receptors near the cardia and prevents relaxation, which occurs during secondary contractions (eructation)

Question 9

What can happen to the cardia with frothy bloat?

Answer 9

If the fluid is too viscous the cardia may be plugged

Question 10

Is abdominal distention with bloat asymmetrical or symmetrical? Where is it the most pronounced?

Answer 10

Asymmetrical

Left paralumbar fossa

Question 11

With acute bloat, what is the timeframe that death can occur in?

Answer 11

30 min - 4 hrs

Question 12

What are the two ways free gas bloat can be caused?

Answer 12

(1) Vagal indigestion type I

(2) Esophageal obstruction

Question 13

What type of bloat is frothy bloat?

Answer 13

Gassy

Question 14

What are the causes of fluidy bloat?

Answer 14

(1) indigestion due to grain overload or other dietary insult
(2) Vagal type II
(3) Obstruction in the GI tract

Question 15

What is the first thing you do in a bloated ruminant?

Answer 15

Pass an orogastric tube

Question 16

What are ddx for bloat?

Answer 16

(1) ruptured bladder
(2) hydroallantois
(3) LDA
(4) abomasa volvulus
(5) mesenteric volvulus

Question 17

What do you do in an emergency bloat case after passing an orogastric tube?

Answer 17

Trocarization or a rumenotomy

Question 18

In a less severe free gas bloat, what treatment do you utilize?

Answer 18

A stomach tube

Question 19

In a less severe frothy bloat, what treatments can you utilize?

Answer 19

(1) Poloxalene in an orogastric tube to break up the froth
(2) Vegetable oils
(3) Dactyl sodium sulfosuccinate

Question 20

What type of bloat will trocharization not relieve?

Answer 20

Frothy bloat

Question 21

With chronic free gas bloat, what course of treatment do you follow?

Answer 21

Temporary rumenotomy (aka blow hole sx), followed by investigation into the underlying cause with rumen fluid evaluation, rads, esophageal endoscopy, reticular U/S, and exploratory laparotomy/rumenotomy

Question 22

What management is needed to prevent frothy bloat?

Answer 22

(1) grazing management/adaption diets
(2) Poloxalene
(3) Ionophores

Question 23

Describe simple or primary indigestion

Answer 23

Acute onset resulting from an abrupt dietary change. Consists of self-limiting but rapid decline in rumen fermentation

Question 24

Describe secondary indigestion

Answer 24

Chronic and the result of other disease processes such as endotoxemic infection, abomasal dz, or metabolic dz

Question 25

What are the CS of primary rumen indigestion

Answer 25

(1) acute anorexia (2) reduced to absent rumen motility (3) diarrhea common within 24 hrs

Question 26

What are the CS of secondary rumen indigestion

Answer 26

(1) rumination absent (2) rumen underfilled (3) depressed fecal production (4) +/- diarrhea

Question 27

What process involves using "liquid gold" to treat rumen indigestion?

Answer 27

Rumen transfaunation

Question 28

Describe the process of rumen transfaunation

Answer 28

Administer a min of 3L (8-16L is best) of rumen fluid that has been adapted to the patients expected ration. Repeat for 2-3 days

Question 29

What should/shouldn't you feed to a patient with rumen indigestion?

Answer 29

Feed grass/oat hay | No concentrates

Question 30

Define vagal indigestion

Answer 30

Depressed fore stomach function

Question 31

What are the 4 types of indigestion?

Answer 31

(1) Type I: free gas bloat (failure to eructate) (2) Type II: Omasal transport failure (3) Type III: Abomasal stasis (4) Type IV: Late preg or pyloric outflow obstruction

Question 32

What is the pathophysiology of free gas bloat?

Answer 32

Gas remains in the dorsal cap of the rumen instead of being eructed out

Question 33

What is the pathophysiology of omasal transport failure?

Answer 33

The progression of the feed bolus is stopped in the reticulum instead of moving into the omasum

Question 34

What is the pathophysiology of abomasal stasis?

Answer 34

The progression of feed bolus is stopped in the antrum of the abomasum instead of moving towards the pylorus

Question 35

What is the pathophysiology of pyloric outflow obstruction?

Answer 35

The progression of the feed bolus is stopped at the pylorus instead of moving into the cranial duodenum

Question 36

What are the 4 most common places of BLV associated lymphoma in cattle?

Answer 36

(1) occular (2) lungs (3) LN (4) R auricle of the heart

Question 37

How do you diagnose type 1 failure to eructate

Answer 37

Percuss the tympanic area in the paralumbar fossa. If there is a low pitch "bonk," it indicates free gas

Question 38

What is commonly the cause of type 1 failure to eructate?

Answer 38

Lesions of the mediastinum associated with pneumonia

Question 39

What shape is a cow with a type II omasal transport failure?

Answer 39

"Papple" or L shaped

Question 40

What occurs as a result of type II omasal transport failure?

Answer 40

Progressive distention as the forestomaches fill with ingesta

Question 41

What happens to the motility of the rumen with type II omasal transport failure?

Answer 41

Hypermotility results

Question 42

What pathology do you need to check for with type II omasal transport failure?

Answer 42

traumatic reticular periotonitis

Question 43

What do you use to differentiate type II from type III indigestion?

Answer 43

Rumen chloride and acid/base status. With type II, acid/base will be normal and rumen electrolytes will be fairly normal (normal chloride is 30 mEq/L)

Question 44

What can you access from the left flank?

Answer 44

The serosa of the reticulum

Question 45

What can you access from the right flank?

Answer 45

The omasum

Question 46

With type II omasal transport failure, what can you use an U/S to help with diagnosis?

Answer 46

The heart and the reticulum

Question 47

How will a normal animal react to a withers pinch test?

Answer 47

Retroflex with no grunting

Question 48

What are the possible causes of type III abomasal stasis?

Answer 48

(1) FB (2) Pyloric dz (3) Abomasal wall function is disturbed (i.e. peritonitis, abomasal ulceration)

Question 49

What type of indigestion does "internal vomiting" occur with and what does this do to chloride levels in the rumen?

Answer 49

Type III abomasal stasis and increased levels of chloride

Question 50

What biochem values would you expect to find with a cow with type III abomasal stasis?

Answer 50

A hypochloremic, hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis

Question 51

What type of therapy do you administer for type III indigestion, what type of fluid/additives, and what do you need to be aware of with your fluids?

Answer 51

(1) agressive (2) NaCl + 20-100 mEq/L KCl (3) Max KCl is 0.5-1 mEq/kg/hr

Question 52

What are two other causes of the "papple" shape in cattle other than type II indigestion?

Answer 52

(1) old age | (2) preg

Question 53

What is a ruminal drinker?

Answer 53

When milk accumulates in the reticulum and rumen

Question 54

What are some causes of ruminal drinking?

Answer 54

(1) failure of the esophageal groove to close (2) calves maintained as pre-ruminants longer than 3 months old (3) feeding contaminated or spoiled milk or improper milk replacer (4) abomasal reflux (5) overfeeding of milk (>2L per 35 kg) (6) abomasal dis

Question 55

What are CS of a rumenal drinker?

Answer 55

(1) poor coat (2) pot bellied appearance with fluid distended abomasum (3) poor appetite

Question 56

What would you expect to find with a rumenal drinker upon abdominocentesis?

Answer 56

(1) grey rumen fluid +/- milk clots (2) foul odor (3) acute --> pH >7.5; chronic --> pH 5-5.5