If the calf ate a rag what to do: danger and how to start the stomach

Cow is a ruminant animal. This means that she is looking for and eating food almost all her free time, chewing it thoroughly. Calves are no different from their parents, they also constantly chew anything. But their stomach is much smaller than that of adults. If a calf accidentally eats a rag, it is important to know what to do in such situations, because it can get stuck there for a long time. And this often leads to blockage of the stomach.

Potential danger

Once a rag has been swallowed by a calf, it creates a number of potential hazards. The worst thing that can happen to him is a blockage of the stomach, followed by a stoppage of digestion. In general, a stomach blockage in a cow is a dangerous thing.

Their stomach contains bacteria that help digest food. But these bacteria produce a lot of gas. With he althy digestion, this gas naturally escapes. But as soon as the stomach is blocked by an indigestible rag or other debris, this movement is disturbed, and gas accumulates in the esophagus. The result will be a severely bloated stomach, leading to complications and an agonizing death for the animal.

But eating a rag doesn't necessarily mean the death of a calf. If the rag was small, dilapidated and made of natural material, then with a high probability it will be digested. But this process can be delayed, and it will affect the animal in the following way:

• it will lose a lot of weight;
• will walk sluggish;
• will start to refuse food;
• constipation will appear, and sometimes diarrhea.

Causes of gastric arrest

It's not just a rag that's eaten that can cause a calf's stomach to stop, there are many other reasons. They are divided into three categories:

1. The human factor.
2. The fault of the calf himself.
3. Infectious disease and parasites.

To begin with, it is worth considering the reasons for stopping the stomach due to the fault of the person himself. As a rule, this is due to feeding low-quality food. If you feed your calf heavy food, which is also cold or hot, this will inevitably lead to digestive problems. Unsanitary living conditions also negatively affect livestock. Another common cause of gastric arrest is calf fright. Because of it, the esophagus is greatly narrowed, spasms appear.

Often the calves themselves are to blame for the stoppage of the stomach. On the walk, they eat everything that gets in their way: ropes, rags, polyethylene, and various metal objects.Before swallowing something, calves usually chew the object for a long time and, if chewing fails, they simply spit it out.

Another reason is the infection of the calf with some infectious disease, resulting in paralysis of the stomach. For example, rabies, tuberculosis, leukemia, E. coli.

How to understand that the stomach has stopped

As soon as the bull's stomach stops, the symptoms appear immediately:

• visually noticeable bloating;
• complete refusal of food;
• open mouth, chewing on emptiness;
• foam coming out of the mouth;
• weakness, heavy breathing.

If the blockage and stalling have occurred partially, then a three-week-old calf is still able to burp gases. But if measures are not taken in time, then soon the stomach may stop completely, which will lead to the imminent death of the animal.

How to start digestion in cattle

Before you give a calf any medicines or infusions, you need to look into his throat. Sometimes it also happens that a foreign object gets stuck in the animal in the throat area without getting into the stomach. If he really has something there, then you should try to get the garbage with your hand. Little calves don't resist much, so you don't need to tie them up.

You can also try to irritate the tongue in every possible way, causing the calf to vomit. There is a chance that he will just burp a foreign object.

If the foreign object could not be removed, then for a start it is worth giving the animal "No-shpu" or "Sulfocamphoin". Perhaps the stoppage of the stomach occurred due to cramps or the transition to dry food.It is also important to massage the scar by gently kneading the side of the calf with your fist. If the above methods did not help for several days, then we can say with confidence that the problem is precisely because of the stuck object inside the stomach. In this case, there are two options: either continue to treat the calf with folk methods, or seek help from a veterinarian.

As a rule, if the stomach is really not working, the veterinarian prescribes the use of special drugs or surgery in an emergency. However, veterinarians do not work in all localities, so if there is no way to get qualified help, and the calf has already lost a lot of weight and is on the verge of death, then perhaps the best solution would be to end the suffering of the animal.

Folk remedies

There are several folk methods by which experienced livestock breeders independently start the work of the stomach.

First method: add 100 grams of yeast to a glass of warm water, then wait 30 minutes to swell. Then add 200 grams of vodka and 100 grams of sugar to a hotel liter container, pour them with swollen yeast. If the resulting infusion turned out to be less than a liter, it is worth diluting it with water. This liquid should be poured into the throat of the calf in small doses twice a day.

Second method: add 10 milliliters of hellebore tincture to a half-liter bottle of water, then pour the solution into the animal's mouth a couple of times a day.

Also used: tomato juice, decoction of yarrow and St. John's wort, various moonshine infusions.

Problem Prevention

First of all, you need to keep the feeder and pen of animals clean.Often, it is there, due to the carelessness of the owner, that garbage gets into: scraps of fabrics, bags, ropes, wires and other dangerous trash. It is important to keep an eye on the cattle walking area, there should also be no garbage. Laundry must not be hung within reach of cows, garden chemicals and paint must be hidden.

It is worth planning the diet of calves correctly, you need to feed them with food that contains a large amount of minerals and vitamins. They should always have access to clean drinking water. If you follow all the above conditions and promptly respond to the problem that has arisen, the calves will grow up vigorous and he althy.

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