Ruminant Bloat: Causes and Prevention

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What is the predominant cause of bloat in cattle?

Depressed milk production

Entanglement of esophageal obstruction

Administration of antifoaming agents

Fermentation of ruminal contents (correct)

What is the annual mortality rate from bloat in dairy cows in some pastoral areas?

1% (correct)

5%

10%

20%

Why is eructation inhibited in primary ruminal tympany or frothy bloat?

Administration of antifoaming agents

Depression of milk production

Entrapment of normal gases in a stable foam (correct)

Coalescence of gas bubbles

What is the major cause of sudden death in feedlot cattle?

Bloat Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of poloxalene in treating legume bloat?

Preventing the formation of stable foam in the rumenoreticulum Signup and view all the answers

Why are ionophores like monensin used in preventing bloat?

To effectively prevent bloat Signup and view all the answers

What is the characteristic feature of primary or frothy bloat in ruminants?

Formation of a persistent foam in the rumenoreticulum Signup and view all the answers

What additional measure can reduce the risk of bloat when strip grazing is practiced?

Feeding sainfoin pellets Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of antifoaming agents in treating free-gas bloat in ruminants?

Ororuminal administration of antifoaming agents Signup and view all the answers

What is believed to be the primary foaming agent in the rumen?

Saponins Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of feeding on bloat occurrence?

It supplies nutrients for a burst of microbial fermentation Signup and view all the answers

Which pastures are most likely to cause bloat?

Legume or legume-dominant pastures Signup and view all the answers

Why do legume forages such as sainfoin and crown vetch not cause bloat?

They contain condensed tannins Signup and view all the answers

What is thought to be the cause of foam in feedlot bloat?

Production of insoluble slime by certain species of rumen bacteria Signup and view all the answers

What can cause physical obstruction of eructation in secondary ruminal tympany?

Stenosis or pressure from enlargement outside the esophagus Signup and view all the answers

What may cause chronic ruminal tympany?

Interference with esophageal groove function Signup and view all the answers

What may interrupt the normal reflex essential for escape of gas from the rumen?

Fine particulate matter in ground grain Signup and view all the answers

'Chronic ruminal tympany is relatively frequent in calves up to 6 months old without apparent cause.' What does this imply?

'Chronic ruminal tympany usually resolves spontaneously' Signup and view all the answers

Why is frothy bloat also seen in feedlot cattle?

As a result of low roughage intake on high-grain diets Signup and view all the answers

What is the recommended emergency procedure if the cannula fails to reduce the bloat and the patient's life is threatened?

Perform an emergency rumenotomy Signup and view all the answers

What is recommended when the animal's life is not immediately threatened?

Pass a stomach tube of the largest bore possible Signup and view all the answers

What type of antifoaming agent is effective in treating legume bloat but not feedlot bloat?

Poloxalene Signup and view all the answers

What method is recommended to prevent pasture bloating when the bloat potential is high?

Adding antifoaming agent to the feed or water Signup and view all the answers

What is the withholding time for Dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate when administered as an antibloat remedy?

3 days Signup and view all the answers

Which type of pasture is less likely to cause bloat?

Mature pastures Signup and view all the answers

What is the most reliable method to prevent pasture bloating in grassland countries such as Australia and New Zealand?

Drenching twice daily with an antifoaming agent Signup and view all the answers

What is the common feature of effective antifoaming agents mentioned in the text?

They reduce surface tension and foam Signup and view all the answers

What can be done to reduce the risk of bloat when turning cattle on pasture?

Feeding hay before turning cattle on pasture Signup and view all the answers

What method may be less reliable when the pasture is in the prebloom stage and the bloat potential is high?

Feeding hay before turning cattle on pasture Signup and view all the answers

What intervention provides short-term relief for cases of free-gas bloat associated with external obstruction of the esophagus?

Placement of a rumen fistula Signup and view all the answers

What method is ideal for strip grazing but not when grazing is uncontrolled?

Spraying antifoaming agent onto the pasture Signup and view all the answers

What is a common cause of sudden death in feedlot cattle?

Bloat Signup and view all the answers

When does bloat commonly begin in lactating dairy cattle when turned onto a bloat-producing pasture?

Within 1 hour after grazing begins Signup and view all the answers

What are the key clinical signs of bloat progression in cattle?

Taut skin over the left flank and mouth breathing Signup and view all the answers

How soon may death occur after grazing begins in cattle affected by bloat?

~3–4 hours after onset of clinical signs Signup and view all the answers

What are the necropsy findings characteristic of bloat in cattle?

Congestion and hemorrhage of lymph nodes and upper respiratory tract Signup and view all the answers

How is primary ruminal tympany (frothy bloat) confirmed?

Ororuminal administration of an antifoaming agent Signup and view all the answers

What is the immediate relief measure for secondary ruminal tympany (free-gas bloat)?

Insertion of a rumen trocar Signup and view all the answers

What is the standard-sized instrument used for emergency relief of free-gas bloat?

Trocar and cannula Signup and view all the answers

What is the potential complication associated with emergency rumenotomy for life-threatening cases of bloat?

Rumen perforation Signup and view all the answers

What is the key reason for making an incision through the skin before inserting a larger-bore instrument for emergency relief of free-gas bloat?

To allow viscous foam to escape quickly enough Signup and view all the answers

What should be ascertained by clinical examination when diagnosing secondary bloat?

The cause of the failure of eructation Signup and view all the answers