What is Bloat in Cattle ?

Bloat in cattle is a serious life threatening condition. My house cow Mia has been lucky, she got bloat last week and it has dissipated with a little work from her to dislodge the trapped air.

The kind gentleman from Environment Waikato noticed it when he came to investigate spray drift damage on our property, thank you for the warning and all the advice you kindly gave me, he used to be a dairy farmer, funny that!!

I had noticed her right side was very ‘balloon’ like in the morning and had kept a beady eye on her, I was hoping she was definitely pregnant and was getting ready to deliver. The thought had crossed my mind that she may have over indulged on the tender spring grass, so I was watching, but to tell you the truth, bloat hadn’t entered my head.

We were subjected to a display of leg stretching, rolling and stampeding around the paddock at high speed with legs askance as she jumped and twisted around. I kept a close eye on her from a safe distance, but I admit, I didn’t enter the paddock while the display was happening.

This is because she scares me when she runs towards me at full tilt and comes skidding to a halt just a hairs width from my face. And believe me, if you have never had 4 tons of cow barreling towards you, it IS scary!

So what is bloat ?

And how can you tell if your cow has it ?

And what do you do if they have?

This article is for information purposes only, it is NOT intended to replace a professional diagnosis or recommended treatment from your vet.

So please if you EVEN think your cow or cattle have any signs of bloat, RING YOUR VET immediately.

History of Bloat

Bloat is not a new ‘modern’ condition, it has been around for as long as ‘ruminating’ animals have been.

Hippocrates, an ancient Greek physician in 460 BC – 370 BC, describes a condition known as Meteorism as ‘an accumulation of gas in the abdomen or the intestine, usually with distention (swelling) and occurs in animals which are ‘ruminating’ like cattle or certain dog breeds’.

I have never heard of any dogs getting bloat, but it seems, in certain breeds, mainly Great Danes, Weimaraners, St. Bernards and different types of the ‘Setter’ breed, have a significant problem with bloat.

The word ‘bloat’ comes from the Middle English word ‘Blout’ meaning soft or puffed. ‘Blout’ was derived from an Old Norse word ‘blautr’ meaning soft or soaked.

What is Bloat ?

Bloat is a medical condition in which the stomach becomes overstretched by excessive gas content and the animal literally swells up like a balloon.

Indeed the right side of Mia, when looking from the front or rear, was very inflated and made her look circular or balloon shaped on the affected side and the skin was very tight to touch and if you tapped your fingers on the tight skin they made a tympanic or drum sound.

What Causes Bloat?

Bloat in cattle is more common in spring time as the tender new grass is abundant especially after the short grass of the winter period.

BUT, cases bloat has also been reported in the Autumn, when the weather can cause a build up of moisture and heat during the day and with cool evenings it makes for a good ‘spring time effect’ and the grass will grow just like spring time and the cattle will eat it like it’s spring time.

The cattle tend to be like ‘kids in a candy store’ and eat and eat, then eat some more. In the majority of cases, the problem is caused by a combination of the animal eating damp, green, new grass and new growth legumes, like Clover and Alfalfa (Lucerne), which are the two most common ‘legumes’ in a pasture setting.

I am told the danger period is in the ‘non – reproductive ‘ stage of the legume cycle that is the most harmful, this is before and just after flowering.

Normally, cattle digest the food they eat by a process called ‘rumination’. Micro-organisms play an important role in the digestive process in cattle and a vital part is making the cattle ‘burp’!

Naturally, a cow will burp upto 3 in a minute, what happens with bloat is the burping process is interrupted by the ‘swelling’ caused by gas build up.

How Can I Tell if My Cattle Have It ?

In fact, looking at your suspect, head on or from behind, will tell you if they have bloat or not. The ‘ballon’ shape is a give away and unmistakable when you see it. It can be on one side, like Mia, or can be on both sides.

PLEASE RING YOUR VET AT THE FIRST SIGNS OF BLOAT

If the balloon is noticeable on one side, you have to be especially vigilant to see if the swelling spreads to the other side as well. The affected cattle will stretch their back legs, to help dislodge the gas and make themselves burp.

Affected cattle will also ‘look’ uncomfortable and unsettled. In severe cases, the ballooning will cause shortness of breath and also the tongue will stick out from the mouth. If you don’t act now and get help, your animal will DIE from asphyxiation, and the heart will fail, and this is due to the huge pressure of the rumen against vital organs.

THIS IS AN EMERGENCY SITUATION DON’T DELAY GET THE VET.

If, like me it would take a vet at least an hour to reach your property, STAY on the line and someone can advise you of what to do.

I will be honest and say there are a lot of ‘home’ remedies, but, I will not be held responsible for an animal dying, so I am not going to publish them.

My advice: RING YOUR VET

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