Eating and rumination behaviour in cows with traumatic reticuloperitonitis

Abstract

Eating and rumination behaviour in 22 cows with traumatic reticuloperitonitis was recorded after the start of treatment. Based on the results of clinical, ultrasonographic and radiographic examinations, the cows were divided into two groups: Group A consisted of 12 cows without an intramural or perforating foreign body and group B had 10 cows with an intramural or perforating foreign body. Cows of group A received amoxicillin, flunixin meglumine and a NaCl-glucose infusion, and cows of group B received the same treatment accompanied by foreign body removal via ruminotomy. All cows were fitted with a horse halter equipped with a pressure sensor integrated into the noseband, and eating and rumination activities were recorded continuously for 7 days. Additional 24-hour-recording periods occurred on days 14 and 30. Results obtained previously from 300 healthy cows were used for comparison. Median daily eating time in group A was 168 minutes (reference interval 211 to 319 min) on day 1 and increased to within the reference interval by day 3. Eating time on day 14 was 290 minutes and significantly longer than on day 1. Eating time was 294 minutes on day 30. Eating time in group B was comparable, and the patterns of normalisation for the number of chewing cycles related to eating, rumination time, the number of regurgitated cuds per day and the number of chewing cycles per cud were similar to that of group A: all variables were significantly reduced on day 1 and normalised within 3 to 5 days. The findings showed that eating and rumination are reduced in cows with traumatic reticuloperitonitis and that successful treatment results in rapid normalisation. Monitoring eating and rumination behaviour using a pressure sensor integrated into a halter allows objective clinical assessment of cows recovering from traumatic reticuloperitonitis. SummaryEating and rumination behaviour in 22 cows with traumatic reticuloperitonitis was recorded after the start of treatment. Based on the results of clinical, ultrasonographic and radiographic examinations, the cows were divided into two groups: Group A consisted of 12 cows without an intramural or perforating foreign body and group B had 10 cows with an intramural or perforating foreign body. Cows of group A received amoxicillin, flunixin meglumine and a NaCl-glucose infusion, and cows of group B received the same treatment accompanied by foreign body removal via ruminotomy. All cows were fitted with a horse halter equipped with a pressure sensor integrated into the noseband, and eating and rumination activities were recorded continuously for 7 days. Additional 24-hour-recording periods occurred on days 14 and 30. Results obtained previously from 300 healthy cows were used for comparison. Median daily eating time in group A was 168 minutes (reference interval 211 to 319 min) on day 1 and increased to within the reference interval by day 3. Eating time on day 14 was 290 minutes and significantly longer than on day 1. Eating time was 294 minutes on day 30. Eating time in group...

Insemination with border disease virus-infected semen results in seroconversion in cows but not persistent infection in fetuses

“…This study confirmed that cows inseminated with semen infected with BDV do not have overt clinical signs of illness [ 11 ] even with stringent health monitoring that included twice-hourly intraruminal temperature measurements and continuous recording of eating and rumination activities. The latter are sensitive criteria for the assessment of bovine wellbeing because sick cows usually have reduced rumination times, fewer regurgitated cuds and fewer chewing cycles per cud [ 22 ].…”

Effect of xylazine administration before laparoscopic abomasopexy to correct left displaced abomasum on markers of stress in dairy cows

“…Even though we assessed feeding time for animals of different breeds, we only included one Brown Swiss into our study, so breeds should not have influenced our results. Rumination time is a reliable indicator for the well-being of cattle (Braun et al, 2017). According to previous research, duration of rumination is 441 min per 24 h in healthy animals of different breeds with 55 chews per bolus (Braun et al, 2015c).…”

Treatment of 503 cattle with traumatic reticuloperitonitis

“…Thus, the clinical recommendation to wait several days after magnet administration before opting for surgical treatment or euthanasia is reasonable because attachment of a foreign body to a magnet may require a few days. Eating and rumination variables of cows with TRP were shown to normalise rapidly within 3–4 days after successful treatment with a magnet [ 31 ]. On the other hand, unnecessary delay of surgery in cattle with a perforating foreign body carries the risk of complications such as traumatic pericarditis or abscess of the liver or spleen.…”

“…This supports our earlier recommendation that the first line of treatment in cows with TRP is administration of a magnet [ 30 ] except when a large part or the entire foreign body is situated outside of the reticulum. The response to treatment is considered positive when the rectal temperature normalises and eating and rumination improve [ 31 ] but can also be confirmed radiographically. Ultrasonography is not a suitable tool for determining the short-term response to treatment because attachment of a foreign body to a magnet cannot be visualised and it takes several months for inflammatory lesions to heal [ 32 ].…”