| PAS_1 |
"Mr Lalujbhai Vasava of Gujarat soaks 300g of leaves of Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus excelsa Roxb.) in water, and serves it to the affected animal. This will cure bloat (Honey Bee, 17(4) & 18(1):42, 2006 & 2007)." |
| PAS_2 |
"To solve problem of bloat, Lakhabhai of district Gandhinagar of state Gujarat uses chanothi (Abrus precatorius L.). He takes 50g of seeds of chanothi, grinds them, and then mixes this powder with 2 litres of water and gives the concoction to the animal. He claims that the method cures bloat in 20 minutes (Honey Bee 19(2):9, 2008)." |
| Agro Ecological Zone |
Agro Ecological Sub Region (ICAR) Central Highlands (Malwa), Gujarat Plain (5.1) , Agro-Climatic Zone (Planning Commission) Gujarat Plains and hills region (XIII), Agro Climatic Zone (NARP) North Saurashtra, South Saurashtra (GJ-6,GJ-7) |
| Disease Symptoms / Clinical Signs |
In primary pasture bloat, the rumen becomes obviously distended suddenly, and the left
flank may be so distended that the contour of the paralumbar fossa protrudes above the
vertebral column; the entire abdomen is enlarged. As the bloat progresses, the skin over
the left flank becomes progressively more taut and, in severe cases, cannot be “tented.”
Dyspnea and grunting are marked and are accompanied by mouth breathing, protrusion
of the tongue, extension of the head, and frequent urination. Rumen motility does not
decrease until bloat is severe. If the tympany continues to worsen, the animal will
collapse and die. Death may occur within 1 hr after grazing began but is more common
~3–4 hr after onset of clinical signs. In a group of affected cattle, there are usually
several with clinical bloat and some with mild to moderate abdominal distention.
In secondary bloat, the excess gas is usually free on top of the solid and fluid ruminal
contents, although frothy bloat may be seen in vagal indigestion when there is increased
ruminal activity. Secondary bloat is seen sporadically. There is tympanic resonance
over the dorsal abdomen left of the midline. Free gas produces a higher pitched ping on
percussion than frothy bloat. The distention of the rumen can be detected on rectal
examination. In free-gas bloat, the passage of a stomach tube or trocarization releases
large quantities of gas and alleviates distention. |
| Disease Description |
Bloat is simply the build up of gas
in the rumen. This gas is produced as part of the normal process of digestion, and is
normally lost by belching (eructation). Bloat occurs when this loss of gas is prevented.
There are two sorts of bloat. The least common type is gassy bloat, which occurs when
the gullet is obstructed (often by foreign objects such as potatoes) or when the animal
can’t burp (such as with milk fever or tetanus). The second type of bloat is frothy bloat,
which happens as the result of a stable foam developing on top of the rumen liquid,
which blocks the release of the gas. This is by far the most common form of bloat, and
unlike gassy bloat, it is highly seasonal with peaks in the spring and autumn. This is
because the foam is formed by breakdown products from rapidly growing forages
(particularly legumes such as clover and alfalfa). These increase the viscosity (stickiness)
of the rumen fluid and prevent the small bubbles of gas formed by rumen fermentation |
| Disease Control |
The ultimate aim in control is development of a pasture that permits
high production, while keeping incidence of bloat low. The use of pastures of clover
and grasses in equal amounts comes closest to achieving this goal. Bloat potential
varies between cultivars of alfalfa, and low-risk LIRD (low initial rate of digestion)
cultivars are available commercially. The addition of legumes with high condensed
tannins to the pasture seeding mix (10% sainfoin) can reduce the risk of bloat where
there is strip grazing, as can the feeding of sainfoin pellets. |
| Disease Prevention |
Prevention of pasture bloat can be difficult. Management
practices used to reduce the risk of bloat include feeding hay, particularly orchard grass,
before turning cattle on pasture, maintaining grass dominance in the sward, or using
strip grazing to restrict intake, with movement of animals to a new strip in the
afternoon, not the early morning. Hay must constitute at least one-third of the diet to
effectively reduce risk of bloat. Feeding hay or strip grazing may be reliable when the
pasture is only moderately dangerous, but these methods are less reliable when the
pasture is in the pre-bloom stage and the bloat potential is high. Mature pastures are
less likely to cause bloat than immature or rapidly growing pastures. To prevent feedlot
bloat, rations should contain ≥10–15% cut or chopped roughage mixed into the
complete feed. Preferably, the roughage should be a cereal, grain straw, grass hay, or
equivalent. Grains should be rolled or cracked, not finely ground. Pelleted rations made
from finely ground grain should be avoided. |
| Precautions |
It is better to understand the causative & predisposing factors and try to control and
prevent the occurrence of blot. Regarding the use of herbal plants, understand the type of plant, parts to be used,
preparation, storage, formulation, dosage, mode of use by consulting a professional
before use. |
| Procedure of Use |
Farmer Lakhabhai Becharbhai Khatana treat blot in cattle by using mixture of salt, clarified butter, ghee, jaggery, "takmariya" (Impatiens balsamina) seeds. Treatment is done by first rubbing salt on the hind quarters of animal. Then 250 g clarified butter (ghee), 100 g jaggery and 10 to 20 g "takmariya" (Impatiens balsamina) are mixed and liquefied. Thereafter, the prepared medicine is administered to the animal by 1 to 2 drenches. For adult animal, the proportion of each ingredient is slightly increased. This treatment cures bloat within an hour and the animal gets well. |
| Etiology Causative Agent |
The cause is entrapment of the normal gases of fermentation
in a stable foam. Coalescence of the small gas bubbles is inhibited, and intraruminal
pressure increases because eructation cannot occur. |
| Global Context |
Blot condition in livestock animals is spread worldwide. The condition is more common in non-descriptive cattle than dairy cattle. |
| Lesson Implication |
Necropsy findings are characteristic. Congestion and hemorrhage of the lymph nodes of the head and neck, epicardium, and upper respiratory tract are marked. The lungs are compressed, and intrabronchial hemorrhage may be present. The cervical esophagus is congested and hemorrhagic, but the thoracic portion of the esophagus is pale and blanched—the demarcation known as the “bloat line” of the esophagus. The rumen is distended, but the contents usually are much less frothy than before death. The liver is pale because of expulsion of blood from the organ. |
| Other Medications / Treatments |
An ideal therapy of blot condition would be to do rumenotomy as well as eliminate the causative agent and take care of predisposing causes. |
| Limitations of Approaches |
Rumenotomy is very difficult to perform. |
| Other Community Practices |
|
| Practice ID |
DTP0010000001419 |
| Reference |
Bhavnagar-96/11 |
| Annotation ID |
GIAN/GAVL/1424 |
| Reference |
Bhavnagar-96/11 |
| Scout |
HBN |
Honey Bee Network Knowledge & Innovation Database (HBNKIND)