Ruminant Gastrointestinal Clinical Presentations

• Vet Prep: Ruminant Gastrointestinal clinical presentations by Dr. Munetsi Tagwireyi and Dr. Helene Larde
• Key elements of the lecture include clinical approaches to gastrointestinal conditions in ruminants, and basic anatomy of the gastrointestinal tract of adult bovine animals

Objectives - Key elements of the lecture

• Mouth: Actinomycosis, Actinobacillosis
• Esophagus: Choke
• Reticulum: Traumatic Reticulo-Peritonitis, Traumatic pericarditis
• Abomasum: Displacements of the abomasum
• LDA
• RDA
• Small intestine: Hemorrhagic bowel disease
• Cecum: Dilation vs Torsion vs Volvulus(displacements)
• Rectum: Rectal Prolapse

Ruminant Digestion

• Ruminants acquire nutrients from plant-based food by fermenting it in a specialized stomach through microbial actions
• This is called foregut fermentation
• Typically, fermented ingesta is regurgitated and chewed again
• Rechewing the cud to further break down plant matter is called rumination

Actinomycosis Details

• Actinomycosis is also known as Lumpy Jaw
• Clinical signs include enlargement of the bone (jaw), granulomatous abscess, localized (mandible, maxilla), and ulcerated purulent & necrotic abscesses
• It's a progressive, chronic condition caused by the gram-positive, anaerobic bacteria Actinomyces bovis
• Predisposing factors include abrasion/lesion of the oral mucosa
• Treatment involves killing the bacteria and stopping the spread of the lesion with sodium iodine (IV) or orally and antibiotics (e.g. penicillin)
• Prognosis is guarded

Actinobacillosis Details

• Actinobacillosis is also known as Wooden Tongue
• Clinical signs include a very hard, swollen, painful tongue, inability to chew, hypersalivation and protruded tongue, abscesses in the tongue, and enlargement of the tongue.
• The gram-negative bacteria, Actinobacillus lignieresii causes it
• Treatment includes sodium iodine (IV), antibiotics, and surgical debulking of lesions
• Prognosis is good only when the tongue is involved

Jaw Fracture Details

• Cause is trauma
• Diagnosed through physical examination, CT scan, and X-ray
• Treatment can be conservative, supportive, or surgical

Esophagus Details

• Clinical presentation includes bloat (gaseous ruminal distension), hypersalivation, coughing/retching, extended head & neck, protruding tongue, and distress
• Causes include normal fermentative processes with gas produced in the rumen, incomplete mastication, and ingestion of potatoes, apples, cabbage, beets, turnips, ears of corn, foreign body obstruction, or plastic, glass, or irregular metallic objects
• Can lead to Rumen bloat → Respiratory distress
• Corkscrew plastic trocar is only used if bloating is life-threatening

Reticulum Details

• The clinical presentation of traumatic reticulo-peritonitis (Hardware Disease) includes anorexia, fever, drop in milk production, rumen atony & free-gas bloat, abdominal pain, and arched back with spontaneous grunting & abducted elbows
• Clinical signs Cranially is referred to as 'Congestive Heart Failure'
• Additional signs are brisket edema, distension of the jugular veins, muffled heard sounds (auscultation), tachycardia, and tachypnea
• Poor prognosis, euthanasia may be required
• Can cause constrictive pericarditis
• Treatment involves conservative measures (rumen magnet) or surgical procedures (rumenotomy to remove wire)

Abomasum Details

• Presentations include "fresh" dairy cow, anorexia (partial), mild abdominal distension, decreased milk production, ping
• multifactorial, abomasal hypomotility is an absolute prerequisite

Left Side Abomasum Details

• Presentation of Left Displaced Abomasum: dairy cows 4-7 y (high producing), < 1 month pp, genetics -↑ body depth = ↑ risk
• Diagnosis includes auscultation and percussion, with a characteristic ping
• surgical correction : omentopexy = fixation & anchoring. the abomasum is deflated & brought back to its anatomical location

Small Intestine Details

• Hemorrhagic Bowel Syndrome presentations are sudden anorexia & depression, pronounced drop in milk production, colic signs (severe abdominal pain), dehydration, increased heart & respiratory rates, pale mucous membranes, and thick, raspberry-colored blood mixed with scant feces.
• Etiology: "multifactorial," involving Clostridium perfringens type A (a normal bacteria of the bovine digestive tract) and Aspergillus fumigatus (a common fungus in feed & forages)
• Pathomechanism: obstruction of the intestine lumen by blood clots, Dairy cows > Beef cattle, common Brown Swiss Cow
• Treatment: manual massage of the intestinal loops to dislodge blood clots, IV fluids, and antibiotics
• Has guarded prognosis and can be prevented with Colostridium perfringens type C and D vaccine.

Cecum Details

• Cecal dilation is distention without a twist
• Cecal torsion is rotation along its long axis
• Clinical signs of Simple dilation - nonspecific signs, drop in milk production
• Clinical signs for Torsion or volvulus - more severe signs - colic, tachycardia, ruminal atony"
• Cecal volvulus is dorsal or ventral dislocation
• Frequency: dilation 70%, torsion 5%, volvulus (retroflexion) 25%
• Etiology is unknown, hypocalcemia, and increased VFA
• If simple dilation, administer Medical IV fluids and electrolytes as well as +/- antimicrobial therapy
• If torsion or volvulus: typhlotomy

GI problems related to Rectum

• Rectum prolapse can occur because of:
• tenesmus (coccidiosis, colitis)
• dysuria (cystitis, urolithiasis, dystocia, neoplasia) neuropathy ("riding" during estrus, spinal lymphoma, spinal abscess)
• chronic coughing (BRD)
• tail docking too short (SR's)
• genetics
• Diagnosis is through visualization
• Can be treated with an osmotic agent, lube, replace & purse-string suture pattern using umbilical tape, surgical amputation or rectal ring