Hardware Disease

Question 1

What is the other name for hardware disease?

Answer 1

Traumatic Reticuloperitonitis.

Question 2

What is the etiology of hardware disease?

Answer 2

Occurs primarily in dairy cattle, but can occur in other ruminants.

Question 3

Why is hardware disease most common in dairy cattle?

Answer 3

Cattle are indiscriminate eaters, which makes them more prone to ingest metal when grazing grass or eating hay.

Question 4

What happens once the metal is swallowed?

Answer 4

It enters either the rumen* or reticulum.
*Enters reticulum eventually and becomes trapped due to rumen contractions, the reticulum’s honeycomb mucosa, and its ventral location.

Question 5

What actions cause the metal to pierce the reticular wall?

Answer 5

1. Straining during parturition.
2. Increased pressure applied to the GI contents from a late, gravid uterus.
3. Reticular contractions.

Question 6

What happens if the metal pierces only the wall of the reticulum?

Answer 6

Generalized and localized peritonitis.

Question 7

What happens if the metal pierces the diaphragm?

Answer 7

1. Pulmonary abscesses.
2. Pericarditis.
3. Pleuritis.

Question 8

What are the clinical signs of hardware disease?

Answer 8

1. Arched back.
2. Acute drop in milk production.
3. Increased heartrate.
4. Increased body temperature.
5. Increased respiratory rate.
6. Careful gait/uneasy movement.
7. Grunting when rising/positive grunt test.
8. Resistant to withers pinch test.
   *Vagal indigestion in chronic cases.

Question 9

What are the clinical signs associated with pleuritis and pericarditis?

Answer 9

1. Elevated body temperature.
2. Shallow respirations.
3. Tachycardia.
4. Muffled heart sounds.
5. Signs of congestive heart failure (Brisket edema, submandibular edema, jugular vein distension).

Question 10

How is hardware disease diagnosed?

Answer 10

1. HX and clinical signs.
2. Lab work (Elevated WBC on a CBC, elevated fibrinogen, elevated total protein).
3. Peritoneal fluid analysis.