Why does a cow drool: reasons and what to do if foam comes from the mouth

When cows are salivating profusely, farmers should take immediate action, contact a veterinarian. Such a problem often signals the development of a livestock disease. Abundant saliva, foam from the oral cavity of ruminants may be associated with disruption of the gastrointestinal tract or inflammation. To figure out why a cow drools profusely and how to deal with it, you need to identify the cause and eliminate it.

Specificity of salivation in cattle

Getting into the oral cavity, food mixes with saliva, which is produced by the sublingual, parotid, submandibular glands, small glands of the mucous membrane.Saliva is a colorless liquid with antimicrobial activity. Its release is a complex reflex reaction that is regulated by the central nervous system.

In cattle, the parotid glands secrete constantly, while the submandibular and sublingual glands produce saliva only when eating and when chewing. Salivation is necessary to provide microorganisms with liquid, to regulate the acid-base balance. Saliva wets the food during chewing, helps with swallowing. With its help, an optimal water balance is maintained, absorption processes occur. Saliva performs a protective function in case of poisoning, participates in metabolic processes.

Cows produce up to 190 liters of saliva per day. The liquid has a high percentage of alkalinity, which helps to neutralize the acids that appear during the fermentation of carbohydrates. The amount and composition of the liquid depends on the quality of the feed, rumen motility, chewing characteristics, and fermentation processes.

The intake of food with a high content of organic acids in the body of an animal leads to profuse salivation. An increase in internal cicatricial pressure also increases saliva production. The intensity of its manifestation is influenced by the physiological state of the ruminant.

Why and what to do if a cow is drooling?

The reason for this manifestation may be the negative processes occurring in the body of the ruminant. Farmers monitor the condition of cows, seek help from a veterinarian, who determines the causes of the disease.

Stomatitis

Inflammation may be caused by:

eating hot food;
eating sharp, thorny vegetation;
mouth injury.

Signs of stomatitis are often hidden, making it difficult for a breeder to determine why a ruminant is foaming at the mouth. The first sign is that the cow is eating selectively, preferring soft food. When examining the oral cavity, you can notice swelling, dryness and cyanosis of the mucosa. The development of the disease provokes the accumulation of viscous mucus in the mouth of the animal, which flows outward.

To exclude the appearance of stomatitis, the cow is protected from the use of prickly, sharp and poisonous vegetation. During treatment, the veterinarian prescribes a diet that includes: boiled vegetables, fresh silage, meadow hay. The oral cavity is periodically rinsed with soda solution.

Poisoning

Animals grazing in the meadows are at risk of severe poisoning from poisonous plants, as well as grass that has been treated with pesticides. After consuming poisonous substances or grass, the first signs of poisoning appear in the animal:

vomit;
diarrhea;
increased salivation;
pupil dilation;
rapid breathing.

To prevent the risk of poisoning, the animals are looking for the best place for pasture, provide quality food. When the first signs of poisoning appear, the animal is given medication, the stomach is washed with a solution of potassium permanganate.

Scar tympania (bloating)

The accumulation of gases in the stomach provokes bloating. This ailment appears after eating easily fermented or stale food.

The cause of the pathological condition of the animal may be a blockage of the intestine or an infectious disease.

The cow is restless, there is an increase in the abdomen, saliva flows profusely, breathing quickens. During treatment, the veterinarian uses a gas tube to remove gases from the body. The animal is laid in such a way that the legs are higher than the head. With bloating, drugs help: Ichthyol, Tympanol, Kriolin.

Qatar GIT

The appearance of an ailment may be due to:

the use of poor-quality feed by animals;
malnutrition;
tooth inflammation;
insufficient containment conditions.

There is a deterioration in the condition of the cow, loss of appetite, lethargy. A fetid odor appears from the mouth, drooling flows. To eliminate the risk of developing the disease will help compliance with the diet, improving the conditions of detention. When treating an adult, castor oil is given in an amount of 500-600 grams, a calf - 50-100 grams.

Esophagus blockage

When eating large pieces of food in a ruminant, the digestive tract is disturbed.Blockage can occur as a result of diseases of the cardiovascular system or other important organs. The appearance of the disease is accompanied by stench from the mouth, copious flow of saliva, diarrhea with bloody discharge. When these signs appear, the animal is prescribed a diet, given plenty of fluids, castor oil.

Ingress of a foreign body into the oral cavity or pharynx

If a foreign object is accidentally swallowed, the cattle becomes weak, the temperature rises. There is a strong secretion of saliva. When a foreign object gets in, the cow is limited in food for a day, given plenty of water. After 24 hours, cattle are given soft food. In exceptional cases, the foreign body is removed surgically.

With any symptomatology, only an experienced specialist can determine the true cause of the appearance of increased salivation. Therefore, at the first signs of a disease, the farmer needs to seek help from a veterinarian who will prescribe the appropriate treatment.