Abdominal distension in a kid: what to do and first aid, treatment of tympania

When a goat is bloated, many do not understand what to do. It must be remembered that the cause of the disease is a huge amount of gases that do not go out. The animal needs help with gas removal. Massaging the abdomen and pulling the tongue out of the mouth helps to cause belching. If the cause of swelling is in the blockage of the esophagus, it is necessary to insert a Vaseline-lubricated hose inside and push a hard object.

Causes of bloating

Timpania, or bloating, in a kid occurs if the animal eats food that causes fermentation in the rumen and increased gas formation (alfalfa, cabbage, clover, legumes, peas, corn cobs, cereals herbs).True, problems appear only when the goats overeat or graze in the rain. Bloating is the result of improper feeding.

Timpania often occurs in a small goat or lamb grazing in a pasture in the morning with dew or immediately after rain. Bloating can be caused by drinking water after feeding, sucking milk with swallowing large amounts of air. Tympania occurs in kids when they are abruptly transferred from milk feeding to plant foods (juicy green grass). The disease can be prevented. You just need to not let your animal overeat, do not feed him a huge amount of legumes and protein-rich plants, and also exclude food with mold and rot.

Important! Bloating is observed if three critical factors are simultaneously involved: increased gas formation, acute atony and a large amount of liquid mass. The accumulation of gases that have not come out leads to mechanical stretching of the scar.Enlarged pancreas compress internal organs and compress nearby blood vessels. Cardiovascular insufficiency develops, as well as asphyxia, oxygen starvation, which can lead to the death of the animal.

The disease occurs due to a disorder in the mechanisms of belching and chewing gum. Spasms of the pancreas and esophagus can lead to gas retention. This happens when the scar is full, that is, due to overeating. The weakening of the functions of the muscles can occur due to the eating of poisonous plants (hemlock, buttercups). Foreign objects that close the narrow lumen of the esophagus, for example, large pieces of root crops, apples, pears, often lead to a violation of the mechanism of belching. Vegetables and fruits can be given to animals, however, only in crushed form.

Timpania is primary (accumulation of a large amount of gases in the rumen) or secondary (blockage of the esophagus). There is also foamy, which occurs when animals eat plants with saponins that have the ability to increase foaming (soapwort, violet, adonis, horsetail, licorice, marshmallow), as well as legumes and grains.A he althy goat has gas all the time in the stomach, but it is expelled by belching or passing into the lower alimentary canal.

Signs and symptoms

Timpania is impossible to miss. In a sick animal, the abdomen increases, especially on the left side. The disease develops rapidly, observed immediately (within 60 minutes) after feeding. With tympania, the goat loses its appetite, there are no chewing movements, profuse salivation is possible.

At the very beginning, the animal has a stomach ache due to spasms, then the scar reduction stops. The kid constantly looks at the belly, which is very swollen, beats him with a hoof. The animal is constantly bleating. In the future, after the scar swelled and began to increase, blue mucous membranes, ears, and also breathing with an open mouth are observed. The pulse quickens, the extremities of the body become cold. If help is not provided to the kid in time, he may die from suffocation and heart problems.

Diagnostic Methods

Swelling of the scar is determined visually: the abdomen increases in size and becomes tense (this is detected by palpation). A goat breeder must recognize the type of tympanum. It is necessary to conduct a thorough examination and find out the cause of the disease. During the diagnosis, first aid is provided to the animal in parallel.

A possible cause of bloating is excessive gas formation due to malnutrition. In this case, the goat's head is thrown back up and the tongue is pulled forward. After such a procedure, gases immediately leave.

If tympania is caused, for example, by a blockage of the esophagus with some object, then you need to feel this organ and examine the pharynx.The abdomen may swell if the passage for gas is blocked. In this case, tension is noticeable in the region of the hungry fossa. During percussion (during tapping), a tympanic (drum) sound is detected (due to increased gas formation).

With a foamy type of tympania, when saliva comes out of the goat's mouth, they listen to the stomach. Noises can be heard inside, the sounds of bursting bubbles. Palpation of the hungry fossa is carried out: abdominal tension is observed. No contraction of the pancreas. There is no drum sound during percussion (tapping).

To clarify the diagnosis, it is advisable to use a food probe. A rubber hose less than 1 cm in diameter is advanced down the esophagus into the scar. During such a study, you may encounter various violations. For example, the hose does not advance well due to strong muscle activity. These are spasms of the esophagus, and they caused the lack of belching.

At the entrance to the scar, the hose may rest against something hard. This means that the esophagus is blocked by a foreign object. When the hose, passing through the esophagus, reaches the scar, there may be a copious release of gases. Foamy tympania will clog the probe with foam.

Treatment and first aid for goat tympania

Bloating can lead to the death of the animal. Tympania is treated independently, without waiting for the arrival of a doctor. Immediately carry out measures to remove excess gases from the rumen. The kid is rhythmically stretched out tongue or put pressure on its root. This procedure promotes gas removal and belching.

If the cause of swelling is gases in the upper part of the scar, then it is easy to remove them. You can lift the goat by the front legs, putting it on its hind limbs. In this position, you need to massage the stomach for several minutes. This procedure will release gases from the rumen.

To stimulate peristalsis, a goatling is doused with cold water on its sides or driven into a river. Cold excites the contraction of the scar and leads to a rapid discharge of flatus.You can massage the left side of the goat (for 5 minutes) and make it run. It is advisable to repeat this procedure several times.

Greater gas production can be handled with a thin hose. It is inserted into the esophagus and advanced to the scar. Gases are mainly removed through the probe. It is possible to cause a burp by sticking a stick in the throat of a goat, irritating its palate or the base of the tongue. When foam, gases, fodder masses come out of the mouth, the rumen is washed, that is, they give the goat to drink two liters of water, adding a little s alt or soda.

Animals are poured into the mouth a decoction of herbs to stimulate intestinal motility (wormwood, flax, yarrow, chamomile, dill, valerian root, buckthorn bark). Accelerates the evacuation of gases sunflower or castor oil. As a treatment, animals are given adsorbents (210 ml of milk, water with 12-20 tablets of activated carbon). Fermentation is stopped with lactic acid. To stimulate the motor activity of the stomach give "ASD2".

The pharmacy sells a special remedy for tympania - "Tympanol". It is advisable to buy this drug in advance. "Tympanol" is diluted with water and injected into the scar. This tool reduces gas formation and increases the rate of gas discharge. To destroy the foam, you can stock up on a drug such as Sikaden.

When blocking the esophagus, a rubber probe is also used. A regular hose is lubricated with petroleum jelly and carefully inserted into the scar. With its help, solid food masses are pushed inside.

Important! In emergency cases, a puncture or surgical opening of the scar is made. This procedure can only be performed by a veterinarian. The puncture is done without anesthesia in the most swollen part of the abdomen (in the center of the left hungry fossa).

At the injection site, the hair is cut off, the skin is treated with alcohol or iodine. The puncture is made with a trocar or a thick needle. The instrument pierces the skin and abdominal wall, slowly releasing gases from the scar.

How to avoid problems?

Timpania is a disease that occurs with improper feeding of animals, more often with overeating. Food for goats is given only high-quality, not wet, without mold and rot. Goats are fed 3-4 times a day, in small portions. It is forbidden to take animals out to pasture after rain and frost.

In summer, it is desirable to graze goats on forbs; legumes and cereal grasses should be equally present in the diet. To prevent blockage of the esophagus, it is recommended to give animals only finely chopped vegetables. It is necessary to ensure that goats do not eat rags, apples, foreign objects.

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