17/6/23, 12:31 Disorders of rumination: strategies to prevent them.

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Prevention of rumination disorders

Prevention of rumination disorders in cattle is the best choice to have a healthy herd and avoid multiple digestive
diseases.

Jerson Andrés Cuéllar Sáenz - 13/10/2021

Jerson Andrés Cuéllar

Sáenz

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Prevention of rumination disorders in cattle is the best choice to have a
healthy herd and avoid multiple digestive diseases. Feeding
Flavorings
Índice de Contenidos [Ocultar] Immunostimulants

1 What characterizes a ruminant animal? Microbiocide

2 What are the main rumen disorders? Mycotoxins
3 Alterations of the rumination of mechanical type
Nutritionals
4 Alterations in rumination of fermentative type
5 Prevention of rumination disorders Pathology
6 Conclusions Pharmacology
Poultry Farming
What characterizes a ruminant animal?
Preservatives
Animals that are called ruminants include those that have a digestive organ called the
Pronutrients
rumen. This group includes domestic animals such as cattle, buffaloes, camelids
(camels, dromedaries, alpacas, vicuñas, llamas), goats, and sheep. Ruminants
Swine
The rumen is a large capacity glandular sac where fermentative processes of the
Technology
food consumed by animals take place. There are populations of billions of
microorganisms such as bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and archaea in the rumen. This
population is called microbiota. These microorganisms are the ones that digest and It may interest you
process all the plant material that is consumed by ruminants. They then release
Relationship Between
volatile fatty acids (VFA) that are absorbed by ruminants and constitute their main Physiological
source of energy. In addition, CO2, and methane CH4 are released in this process. An Improvement of the
Intestinal Mucosa and
imbalance in these processes leads to alterations in rumination.
Productive
Performance
In the rumen, there are physiologically controlled conditions that, when there are
abrupt changes, lead to diseases and disorders. The microbiota is also susceptible to Importance of
these changes and therefore, many microorganisms end up dying. Most ruminal Salmonella infantis at
bacteria bind to fibrous plant material and produce amylase and proteolytic enzymes the present time

to digest it. However, when they begin to die, ruminal disorders manifest themselves in
a variety of ways.

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17/6/23, 12:31 Disorders of rumination: strategies to prevent them.
Reduction of mortality
in lactating and
weaned pigs

Cage fatigue
syndrome: the
importance of
prevention

Common Diseases in
Cattle

Figure 1. Rumination disorders are problems that occur in great frequency.

What are the main rumen disorders?

The rumen is a giant sac that occupies more than half the volume of the abdomen in
ruminants. In cattle, it has a capacity between 100 and 150 liters, while in sheep it is 6
liters. When imbalances appear in the rumen, biochemical, biophysical, and
microbiological changes occur and interfere with the rumination process. Rumination
disturbances can be either mechanical or fermentative.

Alterations of the rumination of mechanical type

1. Traumatic reticulo-peritonitis.

This alteration of rumination is caused by the ingestion of a foreign body of a sharp

type. Cows are animals that do not differentiate or select their feed and during
consumption may ingest foreign objects. Among the most frequent elements are laces,
pieces of metal, wires, among others. These objects get lodged in the reticulum next to
the rumen and through digestive movements end up perforating the organs. The
perforation of the rumen and reticulum can result in the perforation of the
peritoneum as well. This disorder generates rumen paralysis (hypomotility) and can
lead to the death of the affected animals.

2. Vagal indigestion.

Vagal indigestion is an alteration of rumination that occurs due to the involvement of

the vagus nerve (cranial nerve X). It produces two main types of disorder: The first is
called Anterior Functional Stenosis Syndrome, which makes it very hard the pass of
food in the reticulo-omasal orifice. The second is called posterior functional stenosis
syndrome, which inhibits the passage of the food bolus into the pylorus. Vagal
indigestion generates signs such as anorexia, tenesmus, severe abdominal distension
due to gas accumulation, and general deterioration. Animals are at high risk of death
due to this alteration of rumination.

3. Ruminal tympanism

This alteration of rumination is an evident sign in animals; it can have several causes.
Ruminants eliminate the gases produced in fermentation through belching. If there is
any obstruction (in the esophagus, for example) or digestive alteration (foamy
tympanism, for example) that prevents the release of eructation, the gas will start to
accumulate in the rumen. This accumulation of gas leads to distension of the rumen
and compression of the other organs. It can become fatal if the distension is not treated
in time or is severe because it compresses the lungs preventing the animal from
breathing.

Figure 2. Pastures and facilities should be kept clean to avoid foreign body ingestion.

Alterations in rumination of fermentative type

1. Rumen dysbiosis

In this disorder, there is a change in the population proportion of microorganisms

inhabiting the rumen. This affects a change in the digestion processes of ruminants.

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17/6/23, 12:31 Disorders of rumination: strategies to prevent them.

2. Simple indigestion

Ruminants can sometimes accidentally consume foreign materials such as plastics. This
type of object lodges in the rumen and due to its nature and size, it is trapped and
cannot be digested by the animals. Simple indigestion generates an alteration of
rumination and can become complicated, endangering the animal’s life.

3. Ruminal acidosis

Ruminal acidosis is perhaps the best-known rumination disorder due to its clinical
importance and frequency of cases. This ruminal disorder is complex because of all the
changes that occur in the rumen and is the most serious of all. It is mainly caused by
abrupt changes in the diet and the increase of easily digestible carbohydrates. The
microbiota, especially the bacteria Streptococcus spp. and Lactobacillus spp. convert
these carbohydrates into lactic acid. The formation of lactic acid as a metabolic
product affects not only the rumen but also generates an acid-base imbalance in the
animal. Death can occur within 24 hours.

Figure 3. Fermentative disorders of rumination are usually the result of poorly managed diets.

Prevention of rumination disorders

The actions taken to prevent rumination disturbances should be multiple. In general,
one should try to prevent all the alterations previously described because they affect
production and can lead the animal to death.

1. Cleaning of pastures: the facilities where ruminants are housed must remain
totally clean. Care must be taken with plastic residues, sharps, garbage, and other
types of materials that can be ingested by ruminants.
2. Use of magnets to trap sharp materials of metallic nature, since they are the
ES EN
Magazine of veterinary
most frequentinformation, medicine and reticulo-peritonitis.
in traumatic zootechnics, specialized in the
A poultry,
magnet can be Sign
pig, rumin up / Log In
administered
orally to affected ruminants to trap metallic materials and prevent perforation of
the digestive organs.
3. Avoid abrupt changes in the diet: this type of event favors the biochemical
imbalance of the fermentation process in the rumen. Dietary changes should be
made gradually.
4. Avoid excess of easily digestible carbohydrates: it is necessary to give the
exact and necessary quantities of carbohydrates in the diet of ruminants. Foods
such as fruits and feed grains should be given with caution to avoid excess
carbohydrates. These substances are the ones that trigger ruminal acidosis.
5. Use of forages: if there is a shortage of pasture due to the summer season, it
should be avoided to increase the amount of feed. Instead, it is recommended to
have forage reserves in the form of silage or hay to supplement the animals’ feed.
6. Avoid cut forages: sometimes it is considered to feed the animals with some
forage cut with mowers or machines that form fine particles. Animal does not
correctly perform the rumination process in small particles, decreases the
production of saliva, and generates ruminal acidosis.
7. Herd health: it is recommended that ruminant farms manage a herd health
program that guarantees the best condition of the animals. Some of the alterations
in rumination are a consequence of disorders of other organs or systems and
should be prevented.
8. Addition of sodium bicarbonate: the veterinarian can calculate an amount of
sodium bicarbonate to administer to cows at risk of developing ruminal acidosis.
9. Use of probiotics: it has been proven that adding essential oils or yeasts in the
diet such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Megasphaera elsdenii has a protective
effect against rumination disorders.
10. Rumination stimulants: products such as Alquerplus ruminatorio enhances the
rapid development of the rumen microbiota in critical periods for the digestive
system (weaning, change of diet) and facilitate the digestion of the most important
components of the feed. This product contains vitamins, amino acids, mineral
salts, and probiotics (to repopulate the microbiota), and pronutrients (improve
digestive physiology). It is essential that the rumination process is correct to
prevent the appearance of metabolic diseases in ruminants and that organic
functions are adequate.

Conclusions
Ruminants include a large group of animals such as cattle, camelids, goats, and sheep.
They are characterized by having a giant fermentative sac called rumen where the food
they consume is processed.

However, this large organ can suffer from mechanical or fermentative alterations that
induce disease processes affecting ruminants. These rumen problems are frequent in
livestock, and it is important to recognize and prevent them.

Mechanical disorders include traumatic reticulo-peritonitis, vagal indigestion, and

ruminal tympanism. On the other hand, fermentative disorders include ruminal
dysbiosis, simple indigestion, ruminal acidosis.

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17/6/23, 12:31 Disorders of rumination: strategies to prevent them.

Thus, it is essential to consider the prevention of these rumination disorders. Prevention

mechanisms are related to pasture cleaning, adequate feed supply (forage or feed), and
the use of compounds as rumination stimulants to promote rumen health.

Tags: animal health, Disease prevention, Ruminants, rumination disorders

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