What makes a calf bloat

Managing Bloat That Follows Grub Treatment Sometimes bloat may occur 10 to 24 hours following grub treatment with organophosphate grubicide pour-on or spray. The grubicide, if used late in the season, kills migrating grubs in the area of the esophagus, thus causing swelling in that area and preventing the animal from belching or swallowing normally. Animals may try to eat, then spit out feed and saliva. This is followed by bloating and difficult breathing.

If bloat occurs, do not feed the animal for a few hours and walk it slowly until the bloat goes down. If the animal is having trouble breathing, relieve the bloat with a trocar or large bloat needle. Do not pass a stomach tube in animals that bloat following grub treatment. The esophagus may be damaged and permanent injury may result. Treatment Figure 2. Insertion point for needle or trocar fitted with a cannula.

Trocar bottom and cannula. Plan with your veterinarian for emergency treatment for bloat before the grazing season. If the trocar fails to relieve the bloat, you will also need a sharp knife suitable for incising the skin and making an opening into the rumen. In severe cases, a stomach tube can provide relief. The antifoaming agent can be added through the tube or through a trocar and bloat needle.

Never drench a bloated animal. Fluid is apt to be inhaled during drenching, causing immediate death or pneumonia. Antifoaming agents would include emulsified oil mineral oil , or an oil containing an approved detergent such as dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate. Large bloat needles may be adequate for relieving feedlot bloat.

They are about 6 to 7 inches long and come with a wire stylet to unplug them, if necessary. Insert the needle at a point halfway between the last rib and hook-bone on the left side, 3 to 4 inches below the edge of the loin Figure 2.

If the needle does not relieve the problem, a trocar fitted with a cannula Figure 3 can be used. The end of the trocar is sharp, much like a knife. Push the trocar through the muscle and rumen wall. Then remove the trocar from the cannula and gas should begin flowing from the cannula that remains.

If foam is present and is so viscous that the trocar opening is not large enough to give relief, as a last resort, use a sharp knife to open a slit about 3 inches long and then spread apart with your fingers. Insert at least one finger through the incision until the bloat is fully relieved. Otherwise, the rumen may move, causing the opening in the rumen to shift away from the opening through the belly wall and skin.

Prompt veterinary attention is needed in these cases to deal with potential complicating factors, especially with leakage of rumen contents into the abdomen. This is because the bacteria have more time to ferment the feedstuff, thus producing more gas in the abdomen. Familiarity with these causes of ABS will aid in proper decision-making regarding treatment and prevention of the disorder. Measures for controlling ABS mainly involve dietary management in lieu of medications or procedures Marshall, There are no reliable data on whether or not conventional vaccines are helpful.

It is thought that vaccines containing inactivated toxins given to pregnant cows will produce antibodies in the colostrum and help protect the calf Van Metre, Antibiotics, such as penicillin or oral Beta-lactam which would target Clostridium spp, can be used, but these are not the best treatment option because the species of the ABS-causing bacteria may be different.

Other medications that can be given include rumen tonics and anti-inflammatories Shoemaker et al. Bloat-relieving procedures, such as placing a stomach tube or puncturing the abomasum to release air, are not necessarily effective treatment options. Puncturing the abomasum must be done while the calf is dorsally recumbent lying on its back because there is a high risk of leakage of abomasal contents into the abdomen Marshall, For these reasons, procedures and medications are usually not the best treatment options.

Dietary management strategies are the preferred ways to prevent ABS. These dietary management strategies are easy to apply and will increase the passage of feed through the abomasum to the small intestine. Although these are good treatment options and preventative strategies, farms that were rated good to excellent, based on their management practices, still struggled with ABS.

ABS is a spontaneous and puzzling disease that affects many dairy farms. Unfortunately, there are still many uncertainties and unknowns about this disorder, and further research is needed in order to learn more about the syndrome and the specific species of bacteria that cause it.

Make changes gradually when required and be sure all staff is trained to feed consistently. High osmotic concentration ratio of solids in a liquid in electrolyte products and milk replacers can cause bloat.

Adding more milk replacer powder than directed by the label can lead to high osmotic concentrations. Always follow label directions unless otherwise directed by your herd veterinarian or nutritionist. Total solids can be measured easily on farm with a Brix refractometer. If looking to increase milk replacer offered to calves to improve growth or to help them thrive in winter, switch to a milk replacer formulation specifically designed for that purpose.

A benefit to feeding milk replacer over whole milk is that milk replacer has a much more consistent nutrition level. In addition to other benefits, such as increasing starter intake, the availability of fresh, clean water can reduce the risk of bloat. Automatic feeders are great for offering calves multiple meals without added labour. Failure of passive transfer can increase the risk of bloat.

See calfcare. Feeding plant-based milk replacers could also cause digestive problems in calves. Calves less than three weeks old should be fed whey protein-based milk replacers, while older calves can be fed plant-based formulations with more success. This is because the foam is formed by breakdown products from rapidly growing forages particularly legumes such as clover and alfalfa. These increase the viscosity stickiness of the rumen fluid and prevent the small bubbles of gas formed by rumen fermentation from coming together to form free gas that can be belched off.

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These increase the viscosity stickiness of the rumen fluid and prevent the small bubbles of gas formed by rumen fermentation from coming together to form free gas that can be belched off Clinical Signs Distended left abdomen is the most obvious sign Usually associated with pain, discomfort, and bellowing. Death can occur within 15 minutes after the development of bloat Gaseous bloat is usually seen in one or two animals.

No such gas is seen in frothy bloat. Treatment Passing a stomach tube is the best treatment for gassy bloat.