GASTROENTEROLOGICAL EXAMINATION IN RUMINANTS

Radhika VaidyaPhd. 1st YearGBPUA&T, Pantnagar

Gastroenterological examination

History Vaccination and anthelmintic protocols Recent outbreaks of disease such as

salmonellosis Endemic such as johne’s disease Recent changes in diet or management Introductions of new replacement stock or

heifers joining herd Time of onset, the duration, number

affected and the severity and the signs of disease observed

Calving date and stage of lactation

Observations at a distance Behavioural manifestations of

abdominal pain

Straining in attempts to defaecate (rectal tenesmus)

rate of eructation, regurgitation In chronic conditions there may be a low

body condition score and loss of weight

kicking at the abdomenreluctance to get up and downmovements made with caregrunting

Dropping of the cud Ruminal tympany Sunken eyes Increased respiratory rate(metabolic

acidosis) Recumbency Reduction in the quantity and a change

in the composition of the faeces Jaundice (non-pigmented areas of the

skin such as the udder) Neurological signs (hepatic

encephalopathy) Distension and changes in the

silhouette of the abdomen

Normal silhouette of the lateral contours of the abdomen (Posterior view)

Ruminal bloat causing distention of left dorsal quadrant of abdomen(Posterior view)

Pneumoperitoneum causing distention of the left and right dorsal quadrants of the abdomen. Posterior view

Vagal indigestion causing distention of the left dorsal and right ventral quadrants of the abdomen. Posterior view.

Vagus indigestion syndrome

Ascites causing gross distension of the right and left ventral quadrants of the abdomen Posterior view.

Examination of Mouth

Malocclusion of the upper and lower jaws is seen occasionally as a result of developmental abnormality

Neurological lesions affecting prehension, mastication and swallowing of food may occur

Inability to co-ordinate lip movements : 7th cranial (facial) nerve

Inability to move the tongue :12th cranial (hypoglossal) nerve(alkaloid toxicity, botulism or in listeriosis)

Inability to swallow : 9th cranial (glossopharyngeal) nerve &10th cranial (vagus) nerve (local damage to nerves by abscess or tumour formation)

signs of ulceration or damage: Buccal mucosa: diphtheritic membranes which are visible adjacent to the cheek

teeth in some cases of calf diphtheria (necrotic stomatitis) vesicles of foot-and mouth diseaseDental pad: bovine papular stomatitis, Bovine virus diarrhoea, foot-and-mouth disease

Mouth of calf showing (a) lesions of calf diphtheria (necrotic stomatitis) and also (b) a cleft palate.

Milk may run from the nose when a calf with this defect tries to swallow

The defect may be narrow and small or involve most of the roof of the mouth.

wooden tongue caused by Actinobacillus lignieresii tongue is very firm and inflexible to the touch; the animal is unable to advance it through the lips and excessive salivation may be seen

Paralysis of the tongue is seen in cases of botulism

Passage of nasogastric tube in a cow to confirm and possibly treat an oesophageal foreign body

Endoscopic view of bovine oesophagus

Examination of the left abdomen

Assessment of the rumen and reticulum

To check for evidence of a left displaced abomasum.

Rumen and reticulum Normal animal the contents of the upper

part of the rumen have a doughy consistency, but digital pressure should not leave a lasting impression once palpation ceases

In vagal indigestion there may be rumen overfill with fibre and an impression of a fist pushed into the sublumbar fossa will remain following withdrawal

Rumen movements observation of the sublumbar fossa palpation of rumen auscultation of the rumen

• Auscultation of the rumen movements by stethoscope is the most sensitive of the three methods (weak contractions can be detected that may be missed by the other techniques)

• Rasping or crushing sound or as crackling crescendo–decrescendo rolling thunder (persist for 5 to 8 seconds)

Auscultation of reticular contractions: auscultation over ribs 6 or 7 ventrally on the left side

Changes in rumen motility Hypomotility (less than one movement every2

minutes)

Rumenostasis may cause a free gas bloat and is associated with a number of conditions including milk fever, carbohydrate engorgement (ruminal acidosis) and painful conditions of the abodmen

Hypermotility (more than five movements every 2 minutes) is less common and conditions include the development of frothy bloat, vagal indigestion and Johne’s disease

Percussion of the left abdominal wall

Resonance over the gas in the dorsal sac of the rumen

As the percussion proceeds ventrally the resonance declines over the fibre and fluid sectors of the rumen

A diagnosis of ruminal bloat can be supported if hyper-resonance is present on percussion of the distended left sublumbar fossa

Anterior abdominal pain

The withers pinch test for anterior abdominal pain

animal is reluctant to move, has an archedback and grunts while defaecating with araised tail

The bar test for anterior abdominal pain

Left displacement of the abomasum

High yielding dairy cows (usually recognised during first few weeks after calving)

Fluid and gas filled displaced abomasum is between the left abdominal wall and the rumen

Musical tinkling sounds produced by escaping gas bubbles can sometimes be heard by simple auscultation (produced in response to adjacent ruminal movements)

High pitched resonant pings can be produced by percussion of the displaced abomasum

A left displaced abomasum (posterior transverse view at the level of 13 th rib)

Topographical location of abnormal pings that may be produced by percussion and auscultation in the presence of a left displaced abomasum: a left lateral view.

9th to the 13th rib along this line is often the most rewarding

gravid uterus abomasum intestines liver

Examination of right side ofthe abdomen

Distension of the right sublumbar fossa

right-sided abomasal displacement caecal dilatation and/or torsion vagal indigestion omasal impaction abomasal impaction

Simultaneous percussion and auscultation

Conditions producing pings include: abomasal dilatation caecal dilatation or torsion gas in the rectum pneumoperitoneum

Topographical location of abnormal pings that may be produced by percussion and auscultation in the presence of a right displaced abomasum and a distended caecum: right lateral view

Intestines Normal intestinal sounds (borborygmi) can

be heard intermittently in the right ventral quadrant (occur every 15 to 30 seconds)

Repeated peristaltic sounds may indicate intestinal hypermotility

Splashing sounds caused by excessive fluid in the intestines may be detected by ballottement and succussion (enteritis, ruminal acidosis or intestinalobstruction)

Liver clinical signs palpation and percussion clinical pathology and liver function

tests ultrasonography liver biopsy radiography, laparoscopy, exploratory laparotomy postmortem examination.

Palpation and percussion The liver lies beneath the costal arch

and cannot normally be palpated

If it is grossly enlarged or displaced posteriorly it may be palpated by pushing the fingers behind the right costal arch

chronic liver fluke infestation congestive heart failure

Distended rumen Caecal dilatation and torsion Gut tie Intestinal intussusception Gas or fluid content of the abnormal

viscus Indicators of peritonitis such as

adhesions Quantity and composition of the

faeces

Rectal examination

L-shaped rumen: occurs commonly in vagus indigestion and other diseases of the rumen characterized by gradual distension of the rumen

Cecal torsion: commonly palpable as long distended organ, usually movable, may feel the blind end

Abomasal torsion: commonly palpable as tense viscus in lower right half of abdomen

Abomasal impaction: not usually palpable in late pregnancy

Left-side displacement of the abomasum: usually cannot palpate the displaced abomasum but can often feel rumen, which is usually smaller than normal

Intussusception: not always palpable, dependent on location of intussusception and the size of the animal

Mesenteric torsion: usually palpable

Intestinal incarceration: commonly palpable

Peritonitis: only palpable if peritoneum of posterior aspect of abdomen affected

Lipomatosis: commonly palpable as 'lumps' in the abdomen and pelvic Cavity

Examination of the faeces

AMOUNT Mature cattle generally pass some

feces every 1.5-2 hours, amounting to a total of 30-50 kg/day in 10-24 portions

Reduction in the bulk of feces: decrease in feed or water intake a retardation of the passage through

the alimentary tractDiarrhea: the feces are passed more frequently and in greater amounts than normal and contain a higher water content (>90%) than normal

ABSENCE OF OR SCANT FAECES Failure to pass any feces for 24 hours

or more is abnormal and the continued absence of feces may be due to a physical intestinal obstruction

Paralytic ileus of the intestines due to peritonitis or idiopathic intestinal tympany also result in a marked reduction in feces, sometimes a complete absence, for up to 3 days

Some common causes of physical and functional obstruction of the alimentary tract of cattle

COLOR Influenced by nature of the feed, the

concentration of bile in the feces and the passage rate through the digestive tract

Calves reared on cows' milk normally produce golden yellow feces, which become pale brown when hay or straw is eaten

Feces of adult cattle on green forage are dark olive-green, on a hay ration more brown-olive, while the ingestion of large amounts of grain produces gray-olive feces

ODOR Fresh bovine feces are not normally

malodorous

Objectionable odors are usually due to putrefaction or fermentation of ingesta, usually associated with inflammation

The feces in cattle with salmonellosis may be fetid

CONSISTENCY Normal bovine feces are of a medium porridge

–like consistency

severe dehydration causes the formation of firm balls of feces arranged in facets inside the rectum, the surfaces of which are dark and coated with mucus

The feces of cows with left side displacement of the abomasum are commonly pasty in appearance

Sticky and tenacious feces are commonly seen in obstruction of the fore stomachs (vagus indigestion, chronic peritonitis)

OTHER SUBSTANCES IN THE FECES

Mucus: increased transit time of the ingesta in the large intestine

plug of mucus in the rectum is suggestive of a functional obstruction (paralytic ileus)

Fibrin: In fibrinous enteritis, fibrin may be

excreted in the form of long strands, which may mold into a print of the intestinal lumen (intestinal fibrinous casts)

Special Examination

Rumen fluid collection Nasogastric tube or an oral stomach

tube Rumenocentesis

Passing a stomach tube into the rumen per nasum with auscultation at the left sublumbar fossa

Rumen fluid analysis Colour: Normal olive green or greenish brown pH: 6.0 to 7.0 in cattle on a roughage-based diet 5.5 to 6.5 in cattle on concentrate-based diet

Sedimentation/flotation:4 to 8 minutes (Inactive microflora rapid sedimentation with little floating)

Redox potential (methylene blue reduction time): 3 to 6 minutes (>15 min inactive flora)

Protozoal activity Rumen fluid chloride concentration: <30mmol/l

Abdominocentesis and peritonealfluid analysis

usually only 15 to 20 ml of peritoneal fluid in the peritoneal cavity

Volume:0 to 5ml (10ml or above may indicate a pathological process)

Colour: clear, straw coloured or yellow A turbid sample indicates an increased protein and

cellular content Clotting of the sample indicates an increase in the

viscosity of the peritoneal fluid due to inflammatory processes

A high specific gravity and high protein content suggest vascular damage and leakage of plasma proteins in peritonitis or ischaemic necrosis of the bowel

Sites at which to perform anabdominocentesis

References Clinical Examination of Farm Animals by

Peter G.G. Jackson and Peter D. Cockcroft

Veterinary Clinical examination And diagnosis by Otto M Radositis, I G Joe Maythew and Dorren M Housten

VETERINARY MEDICINE A textbook of the diseases of cattle, horses, sheep, pigs and goats 10th edition by O. M. Radostits, C.C.Gay, K. W. Hinchcliff &P. D. Constable