Treatment

TREATMENT

Medical therapy for mild cases

  • Empirical treatment with 500 mL of 25% calcium borogluconate IV.
  •  Offered good quality hay but no grain for 3-5 days and monitored daily.
  • Surgical correction  not be necessary if the appetite and movements of the alimentary tract return to normal in a few days. The ping in the right abdomen may gradually become smaller in 2-3 days and eventu­ally disappear.
  • The cow will usually not regain her appetite until the abomasal atony has been corrected.
  • A combination of hyoscine-butyl bromide and dipyrone and fasting followed .

Deflation of distended abomasum in calves

  • Gas is removed from a grossly dis­tended (bloated) abomasum of calves as an emergency measure.
  •  The calf is placed in dorsal recumbency and the abdomen is punctured with a 16 gauge 12 cm hypodermic needle at the highest point of the distended abdomen between the umbilicus and the xiphoid.
  • fluid therapy is given

Surgical correction

  • Right flank laparotomy for drainage of the distended abomasum and correction of the volvulus is done
  • Intensive fluid therapy is preoperatively and for sev­eral days postoperatively to correct the dehydration, metabolic alkalosis and to restore normal abomasal motility.
  • Rumen transplants to restore rumen function

Fluid and electrolyte therapy

  • Dehydration, metabolic alkalosis, hypochloremia and hypokalemia ae present. Bal­anced electrolyte solutions contain­ing sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium and a source of glucose are to be given.
  • A mixture of 2 L of isotonic saline (0.85%), 1 L of isotonic potassium chloride (1.1%) and 1 L iso­tonic dextrose (5%) given at the rate of 4-6 L/hour IV is also recommended and reliable.

Acidifying solutions

  • Isotonic solutions -potassium chloride and ammonium chloride (KCI 108 g, NH4Cl 80 g, H20 20 L) will correct the alkalosis. This solution can be given IV at the rate 20 L over 4 hours to a 450 kg cow. Followed by the use of balanced electrolyte solutions at the rate of 1 00-150 mL/kg BW over a 24 hour period.

Oral therapy

  • A mixture of sodium chloride (50-100 g), potassium chloride (50 g) and ammonium chloride (50-100 g) is given orally daily postoper­atively along with the parenteral fluids
Last modified: Monday, 28 May 2012, 7:33 AM