What are the ways to treat a bloated cow?

Answer 1

If it's a mild case of bloating, you can chase her around the pen to get rid of the gas build up. However, for more severe cases, you should tube them with mineral oil or dish detergent soap to break the slimy bubbles built up in the rumen and allow the gas to escape. A trocar to the wall of the rumen should only be used in emergencies BY THE VET ONLY when tubing her won't deliver immediate results. Make sure the animal is restrained in a head catch and/or squeeze chute before you drench it or punch a trocar in the animal's side.

Answer 2

Trapped gas in the stomach of a cow is called bloat. There are two types of bloat: free bloat and frothy bloat. Free bloat is where there is free gas floating in the stomach but it can't escape through the esophagus and is treated by relieving the obstruction in the esophagus, passing a tube down the esophagus or by inserting a long large-bore needle or trochar into the gas cap in the stomach. Frothy bloat is where the gas in the rumen is trapped within bubbles that won't break down and is treated by giving poloxalene orally to break down the bubbles.

Bloat in cattle is an immediate emergency and life-threatening - cattle produce two liters of carbon dioxide every minute so within a couple hours the stomach can expand to the point that the cow can't breathe due to compression of the thoracic cavity.

Answer 3

Try to refrain from feeding higher-quality feed, or add more roughage (like medium to poor-quality hay) along with the higher-quality or concentrate feed she's getting. Either that or just outright cull her. If she's a chronic bloater she's going to be a bit of a pain to deal with, especially if you've got a herd of cows and not just one or two. But if it's just her and one or two cows, then you're probably the type that doesn't want to cull and wants to try to keep her as long as possible.

Answer 4

Overeating grain, alfalfa and clover on an empty stomach. These forages are very high in protein, and when protein is rapidly digested, often gases build up so fast that the animal cannot belch it out quick enough. A lot of the time when this occurs, a slime on the bubbles occurs which makes it extremely difficult for a cow to eructate properly--this is called "frothy bloat." A bloated cow needs to be treated immediately or else you will loose her.

Answer 5

This is called bloat, there is no scientific name for this disease.

Answer 6

It depends on the type of bloat - bicarb soda/cooking oil.