Abomasitis (abomasal bloat) is a relatively rare

ruminant Ruminants (suborder Ruminantia) are ungulate, hoofed herbivorous grazing or browsing mammals that are able to acquire nutrients from plant-based food by Enteric fermentation, fermenting it in a specialized stomach prior to digestion, principally ...

disease A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that a ...

characterized by inflammation of

abomasum The abomasum, also known as the maw,The Cham ...

in young calves,

lamb Lamb or The Lamb may refer to: * A young sheep * Lamb and mutton, the meat of sheep Arts and media Film, television, and theatre * ''The Lamb'' (1915 film), a silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr. in his screen debut * ''The Lamb'' (1918 ...

s, and

goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...

kids. It occurs with

gastroenteritis Gastroenteritis, also known as infectious diarrhea and gastro, is an inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract including the stomach and intestine. Symptoms may include diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Fever, lack of energy, and dehydra ...

, but can also be a side effect of other diseases. However, it is seldom diagnosed as a separate condition.

Signs and Symptoms

A characteristic sign is the swollen abomasum wall, which can also be

necrotic Necrosis () is a form of cell injury which results in the premature death of cells in living tissue by autolysis. Necrosis is caused by factors external to the cell or tissue, such as infection, or trauma which result in the unregulated dige ...

and

hemorrhagic Bleeding, hemorrhage, haemorrhage or blood loss, is blood escaping from the circulatory system from damaged blood vessels. Bleeding can occur internally, or externally either through a natural opening such as the mouth, nose, ear, urethra, vagi ...

. Edema in the

mucosa A mucous membrane or mucosa is a membrane that lines various cavities in the body of an organism and covers the surface of internal organs. It consists of one or more layers of epithelial cells overlying a layer of loose connective tissue. It is ...

may also occur. Symptoms include

anorexia Anorexia nervosa, often referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by low weight, food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin. ''Anorexia'' is a term of Gre ...

, the bloat of the abdomen,

colic Colic or cholic () is a form of pain that starts and stops abruptly. It occurs due to muscular contractions of a hollow tube ( small and large intestine, gall bladder, ureter, etc.) in an attempt to relieve an obstruction by forcing content out ...

and diarrhea. The animals can seem passive and weak. Another sign can be that the affected animal separates itself from the herd. Without treatment, the animal can die in a very short period of time.

Cause

Abomasitis can be caused by several factors: *Bacterial infections (e.g. ''

Clostridium septicum ''Clostridium septicum'' is a gram positive, spore forming, obligate anaerobic bacterium. ''Clostridium septicum'' can cause gas gangrene, but unlike other Clostridium species like ''Clostridium perfringens'', no trauma is necessary at the si ...

'', ''C. perfringens'' (type A), ''C. sordellii'', and '' Sarcina spp.'') *Viruses like ''Rinderpest morbillivirus'' or

Pestivirus ''Pestivirus'' is a genus of viruses, in the family ''Flaviviridae''. Viruses in the genus ''Pestivirus'' infect mammals, including members of the family Bovidae (which includes cattle, sheep, and goats) and the family Suidae (which includes var ...

can also cause an inflammation of the mucosa, as well as some metabolic diseases (e.g. rumen acidosis). *An unsuitable diet, such as excessive feeding or feeding lush forages. *Stress. *Foreign body in the abomasum.

Diagnosis

There are no diagnostic methods to identify abomasitis in living animals. A post-mortem

necropsy An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any di ...

of the intestines is needed.

Treatment

Treatment should start immediately via oral and intravenous medication. The diet should be reduced. The animal should also be treated with

antibiotics An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention o ...

to prevent intestinal bacteria spreading to other organs.

Colloids A colloid is a mixture in which one substance consisting of microscopically dispersed insoluble particles is suspended throughout another substance. Some definitions specify that the particles must be dispersed in a liquid, while others extend ...

can also help in severe cases. In cases when an animal has a lot of fluid in the abomasum, a gastric-rumen tube should be used to help extract the extra fluid. A special abomasum puncture can help if the abdomen is swollen with gas or air. This technique has only been tested in lambs, not in calves. In the early stages of the disease, rolling the calf over and puncturing the abomasum can help the calf recover. If the animal does not respond to the treatments, a surgery should be performed to remove damaged tissue and excess fluid from the abomasum.{{Citation, last=Fubini, first=Susan L., title=5 - Noninfectious Diseases of the Gastrointestinal Tract, date=2018-01-01, url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B978032339055200005X, work=Rebhun's Diseases of Dairy Cattle (Third Edition), pages=168–248, editor-last=Peek, editor-first=Simon F., publisher=Elsevier, isbn=978-0-323-39055-2, access-date=2019-12-13, last2=Yeager, first2=Amy E., last3=Divers, first3=Thomas J., editor2-last=Divers, editor2-first=Thomas J.

Fatality rate

The exact fatality rate is uncertain. However, it is assumed to be very high due to the inherently late diagnosis of the disease.

Prevention

There are no reliable prevention methods. However, it is recommended to disinfect all the equipment the calves are regularly in contact with to prevent the spreading of bacteria. Furthermore, it is recommended to improve the feeding situation, like switching from bucket to bottle-feeding, or to make sure that the feeding milk is at body temperature. In some cases, a regular

immunization Immunization, or immunisation, is the process by which an individual's immune system becomes fortified against an infectious agent (known as the immunogen). When this system is exposed to molecules that are foreign to the body, called ''non-sel ...

of exposed animals can prevent abomasitis. * *

References

Ruminant diseases