Cow magnet8/14/2023 Traditionally, cow magnets were strong Alnico magnets about 1 cm by 8 cm (0.4 by 3.1 inches) in the shape of a smoothed rod, but today they are more commonly several ring-shaped ferrite magnets attached to a stainless-steel or plastic core, in the same shape as the single-piece original. Ī cow magnet is a veterinary medical device for the treatment or prevention of hardware disease in cattle. Good feed management is also important in smaller operations, some farmers pass metal detectors or magnets over the feed. In some advanced cases that don't respond to medical or surgical therapy, slaughter is often considered from both an economic and a humaneness perspective. Surgery is necessary in some cases and involves rumenotomy with a physical removal of the object. The cow should be confined and movement limited in the hopes that the reticulum can repair the hole. A broad-spectrum antibiotic should also be given to control infection. Depending on the type of magnet used, inserting a second magnet could cause internal pinching which could lead to serious complications. If hardware disease is suspected, a magnet should be administered orally through a tube into the reticulum. If there is inflammation in either the peritoneal cavity or the pericardium, it can be detected using an ultrasonograph. However, if the sharp object is not metallic or dense enough the radiograph is of no use. Radiographs are also used and are advantageous because the location of the metallic body can be identified. Electronic metal detectors can be used, but not all heavy sharp objects will be metal and it does not distinguish between penetrating and nonpenetrating bodies. Laboratory tests are not always necessary, but increases in fibrinogen and total plasma protein often result from hardware disease and may be diagnosed with a blood sample. In dairy cows, there is often a decrease in milk production. The heart rate is normal or slightly elevated, and the respiration is shallow and rapid. The cow may groan when lying down, getting up, defecating and urinating. The cow exhibits an arched back, a reluctance to move and a slow, careful gait. Symptoms of hardware disease vary depending on where the object penetrates. Diagnosis ĭiagnosis is typically based on history and clinical findings when the veterinarian examines the cow. Compression by the uterus in late pregnancy, straining during parturition and mounting during estrus can increase the likelihood of the object penetrating the abdominal wall or the heart sac. In rare cases, the metal object penetrates the entire wall of the reticulum and can pierce the heart sac, causing pericarditis. In some cases, contractions of the reticulum can push the object through part of the reticulum wall into the peritoneal cavity, where it causes severe inflammation. The object travels into the rumen and is then pushed into the reticulum along with the rest of the feed. Sharp metallic objects, such as nails or wire, are the common initiators of hardware disease. Depending on where the infection spreads, the medical names for it include bovine traumatic reticuloperitonitis and bovine traumatic reticulopericarditis.Ĭattle commonly swallow foreign objects, because they do not use their lips to discriminate between materials and they do not completely chew their feed before swallowing. It can be difficult to conclusively diagnose, but can be prevented by the oral administration of a magnet around the time that the animal reaches the age of one year. It is very rarely reported in any other ruminants. It is most common in dairy cattle, but is occasionally seen in beef cattle. These pieces of metal settle in the reticulum and can irritate or penetrate the lining. Hardware disease in livestock is traumatic puncture of the gastrointestinal tract with resultant spread of infection, caused by ingestion of a sharp, hard object, usually a piece of hardware (hence the name). Cattle receiving veterinary care on the farm
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |