What to do if a cow has lost gum and how to treat it at home
Chewing gum is the process of re-chewing rough foods to make them easier to digest. Disruption of this process in cows is considered a sign of deterioration in the functions of the digestive system. The main causes of problems include eating disorders, pregnancy and calving. Many livestock breeders are interested in: the cow has lost its gum - what should be done in this case? First of all, it is important to establish the provoking factor.
Possible reasons
Farmers are intimidated by the lack of chewing gum in the cow, as this indicates serious violations. Causes of problems include the following:
- swallowing inedible food that causes scar damage;
- stress factors;
- pathologies - first of all, atony and tympanic scar;
- obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract - this condition is called traumatic reticulitis;
- postnatal problems - with displacement of organs.
After identifying the provoking factor, a veterinary help or use of folk remedies.
Atony
A common reason why an animal does not chew gum is atony. With this pathology, there is a loss of gastric tone. It can occur after calving or in other cases. Loss of appetite in an animal is considered a key sign of a disorder.
For therapy, it is worth using hellebore tincture, which is sold in special pharmacies. For this, it is recommended to take 2 milliliters of tincture for 400 milliliters of water. The finished composition should be poured into the oral cavity. The procedure should be repeated after 20 minutes. The veterinarian can administer the Carbohalin solution. Its concentration should be 0.1%.
Tympanic scar
If the cow does not eat or drink, tympania may be the cause. With this violation, there is a blockage of the esophagus. This condition is accompanied by the accumulation of gases in the rumen. Signs of disturbance appear when overeating ordinary grass. Also, eating frozen or spoiled food leads to tympania. Such food negatively affects the condition of the scar, causing an increased load on it.
Usually the problem is caused by the farmer's carelessness and the violation of the rules of feeding the cows. This is especially true when using root crops. It is recommended to cut them in large pieces. You cannot crush food.
Certain physiological characteristics are characteristic of cattle. They lead to the fact that the animal is not able to chew small fragments of root crops to a state of gruel. This causes them to enter the esophagus, which causes a blockage in the passage.
A special therapeutic method will help to cope with the problem. It involves pouring 1 cup of vegetable oil into the cow's mouth. Previously, the oral cavity needs to be opened and the tongue is pulled out well. Sometimes farmers rub the left side of the cow's belly. To do this, it is permissible to use a brush or a bundle of straw. This procedure helps promote food and remove blockages.
Traumatic reticulitis
If the cow has lost her appetite, traumatic reticulitis can be suspected. This disorder in cattle can occur if the animal is fed hay, which may contain nails, glass fragments or other foreign objects. In this case, the animal puts its legs wide, it has weakness, its back bends.
The animal may experience a decrease in motor activity. When trying to lie down or get up, it moans violently. There is also a loss of appetite, the gum worsens or completely disappears.
A magnetic probe can be used to remove foreign objects from metal from the body. If the result is not obtained, the animal is recommended to be put on a diet. For this, soft hay is used. Flour mills are also suitable for this purpose.
Calving
Having a baby is considered to be a major stress for the cow. Therefore, the loss of gum can be observed before and after childbirth. If the cow stops chewing before calving, this may be due to organ dislocation. It is due to the growth of the fetus. After calving, the violation occurs due to the movement of the calf along the birth canal.
If a cow has lost gum or spits out food during pregnancy, no serious action is required. In order not to harm the calf, it is recommended to choose a diet.
You can also treat pathology with herbal products - tincture of chamomile or wormwood. These substances are harmless to adult animals and young animals. To make a solution, you need 2 milliliters of herbal tincture in 500 milliliters of water. You can also use hydrochloride mineral water for cows. It is recommended to give the animal 2 liters of such liquid for 1 reception. This remedy activates the digestive functions and restores the stomach.
What to do if a cow has lost gum
If the cow does not have gum, action is required immediately. If there is a problem, any delay can cause serious deviations and even death. Only experienced farmers can help a cow independently. In other cases, you should contact your veterinarian.
Treatment should be selected taking into account the diagnosis:
- In case of atony, sodium hydrochloride is recommended to be administered by mouth. It is also worth injecting caffeine subcutaneously and giving the cow Tempanol.
- Acidosis requires gastric lavage with an alkaline agent. It is also necessary to put a drip with saline and inject drugs to restore the heart rhythm. If the cow is bloated, enzyme use is indicated. They help induce normal peristalsis.
- When tympanic is used, an aqueous solution of formalin with ichthyol should be used. This helps to cope with the fermentation process. If you make a puncture in the required place, you can release gases and introduce tar or "Creolin".
- With traumatic reticulitis, you can try to remove a foreign object with a magnetic probe. If this procedure is ineffective, an operation is indicated.
To avoid problems, feed the cow in pieces. If the gum is gone before the calf is born, the animal needs a special diet. If a cow has diarrhea, this is due to the development of decay processes.In such a situation, the animal needs to add a healthy microflora.
ethnoscience
To return the gum to the animal at home, you can use folk recipes. You can treat a cow with the following means:
- Limit the animal's diet. For a day, the cow should be transferred exclusively to water. At the same time, she should drink quite a lot.
- If the animal does not chew food, hellebore tincture will help him. To make a product, you need to mix 10 milliliters of the product with 0.5 liters of water. The procedure should be repeated every 30 minutes until gastric motility is restored.
- Wormwood and chamomile tinctures will help reduce bloating and restore secretion and peristalsis.
- You can give a cow 2 liters of hydrochloride mineral water. This helps to activate the digestive system.
Measures to prevent disease
To avoid problems, you should follow these rules:
- check feed for foreign objects;
- reduce the amount of rough food;
- do not give the calves large pieces of food;
- avoid overeating in cows;
- observe hygiene rules.
The loss of gum in a cow can be attributed to a variety of factors. Most often, various diseases lead to this problem. To cope with the problem, you need to make an accurate diagnosis.