Contents
Asphyxia in cattle most often occurs at the hotel. Calves die at birth. In the case of adult cattle, this is either an accident or a complication of an illness.
What is asphyxia
This is the scientific name for suffocation. But the concept of “asphyxia” is broader than what is usually meant by strangulation. Asphyxia also occurs during drowning.
In both cases, oxygen ceases to enter the body, and gas exchange in the tissues is disturbed. Gas exchange during asphyxia is disturbed in both directions: oxygen does not enter the blood, and carbon dioxide is not removed.
Asphyxia leads to disturbances in the work of the central nervous system and tissue metabolism. Poisonous substances are formed in the blood.
In general, asphyxia is any process in which gas exchange in the body is disturbed. In cattle, it can occur even after eating certain feeds. Asphyxia occurs in cattle and in diseases. Even ordinary shortness of breath due to poor heart function is also asphyxia. In a very light form.
But both animals must belong to the same species.
Causes of asphyxia in newborn calves
The phenomenon of asphyxia in newborn calves is called “stillbirth”. The fetus suffocates while still in the womb. This phenomenon occurs if the cub inhaled amniotic fluid instead of air or the umbilical cord was clamped for a long time.
Most often, the umbilical cord is clamped in the breech presentation of the fetus. At birth, the calf goes forward with its hind legs, and clamps the umbilical cord between its torso and the bones of the maternal pelvis. At the moment of birth, all living beings, not only cattle, have exclusively innate reflexes. The cessation of the supply of oxygen to the cub through the umbilical cord indicates that his head has already come out. Reflexes “say” it’s time to take a breath. The unborn calf takes a reflex breath and chokes on amniotic fluid.
When the fetus is in a head-first position, this does not happen. By the time the cow’s pelvic bones compress the umbilical cord, the baby’s head is already out.
Determination of the position of the fetus
When the fetal membrane appears from the vulva, they look where the soles of the hooves are directed. If the soles “look” down, the presentation is correct and you don’t have to worry. If the soles are pointing upwards, the fetus may suffocate, as the hind legs go forward.
In rare cases, a calf may be born “lying on its back” in the womb. To be sure that it is the soles of the hind legs that “look up” after the shell breaks, they feel for the hock joint.
In cattle, as in horses, childbirth is often dangerous due to the too long legs of the cubs. Other “poses” can also affect the appearance of asphyxia:
- front legs bent at the wrists;
- head thrown back;
- head turned sideways
- hind legs bent at the hocks.
With all these positions, the probability of asphyxia in cattle is even higher than with the correct breech presentation.
multiple pregnancy
Twins in cattle is an undesirable phenomenon, but it happens quite often. Even with a safe calf, the second calf can suffocate in the womb and be born already lifeless. Since here the time interval between asphyxia and birth is quite small, the calf can be pumped out.
It is much worse if the second calf suffocated due to tightness a few hours before the start of labor. The mechanism of asphyxia is the same as with incorrect presentation: in tightness, the umbilical cord is pinched. A second calf can also squeeze it. In this case, the stillborn fetus will have white corneas in the eyes, indicating an early death.
Causes of asphyxia in adult animals
In adult cattle and grown-up calves, there are much more ways to “choke themselves”. Practice shows that cattle of all ages:
- “hung” on a leash;
- drowning in water bodies;
- chokes on root crops;
- etched with poisons that prevent blood oxidation;
- suffocates due to various diseases.
Self-hanging among animals is not as rare as owners would like. Most often this happens with horses, as the most shy animals, but cattle are not far behind. Tying cattle by the neck is the most dangerous. If the animal begins to fight on a leash, the loop can tighten and suffocate him. Sometimes they “hang themselves” by being tied next to steep slopes.
Cattle swim relatively well, but they usually drown if the bottom near the shore is viscous. Or in a swamp.
Cattle have no upper teeth. They cannot bite off pieces. Cattle grass is torn off by the tongue, and roots, zucchini, apples and other similar succulent foods are captured whole and chewed by molars. The first time the cattle does not try to chew well, and a large piece can get stuck in the throat. More often because of this, cattle have a blockage of the esophagus, turning into tympanum. But sometimes a large piece pinches the trachea, blocking the path of air.
Asphyxia in cattle can also occur when the probe is pushed through the esophagus to eliminate tympania. Sometimes the probe enters the respiratory tract.
In case of poisoning, asphyxia occurs if the poisons were from the cyanide group. Most often, livestock is poisoned by grass treated with pesticides. But in ruminants, including cattle, poisoning can occur when eating forage grasses:
- Sudanese women;
- sorghum;
- wiki.
The glucosides contained in these types of herbs are sometimes broken down in the stomach of cattle with the formation of hydrocyanic acid.
Asphyxia of this type often occurs during a fire.
With some diseases, cattle can die from asphyxia:
- pulmonary edema;
- bilateral pneumonia;
- infectious diseases, affecting the brain or causing soft tissue swelling.
There will be no asphyxia if the disease is treated in time.
Clinical signs
When first aid is provided to cattle on time, the consequences of asphyxia are not observed. In the case of a severe form and a long stay without oxygen, the brain can be affected.
Asphyxia can be external and internal. External asphyxia almost always proceeds in an acute form:
- short-term breath holding;
- intensified attempts to inhale;
- increased expiratory movements;
- complete cessation of breathing due to brain damage;
- the appearance of new rare attempts to inhale;
- final cessation of breathing.
With asphyxia, less noticeable processes also occur, which are detected only with special observation. The work of the heart muscle first slows down, and blood pressure drops. Then the pressure rises, the capillaries and veins overflow with blood. The heart beats faster and the pressure drops again.
Usually, the heart continues to work for a long time after the cessation of breathing. Sometimes it can beat for another half an hour.
After stopping breathing, muscle weakness appears. Sphincters relax, urination and defecation occur. Males also ejaculate. Asphyxia is always accompanied by convulsions.
With internal asphyxia, brain dysfunction can occur gradually, and signs of suffocation will be less noticeable. Although in general they coincide with the acute form.
Signs of asphyxia in calves
The main signs of asphyxia in newborn calves occur in the womb. One sees only the consequences. If a calf suffocated just before birth, it can still be saved. But you need to be able to determine when it makes no sense to waste time. Signs of the initial stage of asphyxia:
- swelling of soft tissues on the head;
- blue tongue, protruding from the mouth;
- mucous membranes in the mouth swollen, blue or pale;
- when bending the legs, reflex sensitivity is observed.
Until the initial form of asphyxia in the calf has passed into the next stage, it can be given first aid with the help of artificial respiration. If a limply sagging body with white corneas of the eyes and porcelain-colored mucous membranes was removed from the cow, the corpse is thrown away.
First aid
If asphyxia in cattle occurs as a result of a disease, it is too late to provide first aid. The disease had to be treated immediately.
When self-hanging, first aid is to cut the rope around the neck. An animal either breathes or it doesn’t. But there is nothing more a person can do because of the size of the cattle.
You can help only newborn calves, and even then not always. There are two ways to pump out a suffocated calf.
First option
This path will require 3 people. The survival of a newborn calf depends on the work of the heart. In the event of a cardiac arrest, it will only be possible to ascertain the case. The work of the heart is controlled by the pulse on the femoral artery.
These numbers are guided by artificial respiration.
The calf is placed on its back on an inclined surface. The head should be below the pelvis. The first person takes the front legs by the carpal joints and spreads-reduces the limbs of the newborn with the frequency of breathing. The second rescuer puts his thumbs under the ribs and, synchronously with the first one, raises the ribs when spreading the legs to the sides and lowers them when bringing the limbs together. The third pulls out the tongue of a suffocated calf during the “inhale” and releases it during the “exhale”.
This method is suitable for resuscitation of a calf on a farm with a lot of staff. But for a private trader who has a couple of cattle heads, and he serves them himself, this method is not suitable. Private owners use the old method of resuscitation.
The second option
In a newborn, mucus and fluid are removed from the mouth and respiratory tract. This is usually done with quite live cubs.
If the fluid has entered only the upper part of the trachea, it is enough to lift the calf and wipe off the flowing water. In a more severe case, the born cub is suspended for several minutes, since with deep penetration of amniotic fluid into the respiratory tract, it is difficult to hold a heavy body in your hands.
After removing the liquid, the baby’s body is vigorously rubbed with a straw bundle or burlap for 10-15 minutes. After that, sodium bicarbonate solution 4% is injected subcutaneously or intramuscularly. Dosage: 4 ml/kg.
Consciously strangling a cow to make it stand still during veterinary procedures:
Conclusion
Asphyxia in cattle without human assistance inevitably leads to the death of the animal. It cannot save itself.
