Colic in calves and cattle

Colic in calves and cattle is a fairly common intestinal disorder, which is a complex symptomatic complex that occurs and manifests itself in diseases of the digestive system. In ordinary life, colic is most often referred to simply as “bloating”, and animal breeders in the normal course of the disease independently diagnose and treat them.

Varieties of colic

The appearance of colic, both in a young and in an adult animal, is always evidence that in the body of an individual there was a malfunction in the work of any part of the gastrointestinal tract.

In veterinary medicine, it is customary to distinguish 2 main types of colic, depending on which organs are sick in a calf or adult:

• true colic – occur when there are disorders in the work of the stomach or intestines. Examples of diseases in this case are: acute expansion of the stomach, flatulence, stagnation in the intestines;
• False colic – manifest themselves in diseases of the liver, kidneys, bladder, as well as in connection with an infectious disease of the animal.

In addition to the two listed, veterinarians and zoologists also distinguish a third type of colic – symptomatic. This type of gastrointestinal disorder may occur as a result of surgical, obstetric influences on the body of the calf, or as a result of the presence of any infectious or helminthic disease.

The most common classification is the division of colic, depending on which area of ​​the body the symptoms of the disease appear:

1. Gastric.
2. Intestinal.

Intestinal colic, in turn, includes

• bloating without peritonitis (eg, flatulence, chymostasis);
• swelling with the manifestation of peritonitis (for example, thromboembolism).

Causes

In veterinary medicine, it is customary to single out 3 main reasons why colic can occur in calves and cattle:

1. For young animals, this is most often a too abrupt transition or lack of a preparatory stage for the transition from a dairy type of feeding to a regular diet. A calf can also suffer poisoning due to giving it sour milk along with its mother’s milk.
2. Food poisoning.
3. The presence of malfunctions in the gastrointestinal tract or the whole organism as a whole in a young or adult cattle.

Food poisoning in cattle can occur due to non-compliance with the basic rules of animal nutrition:

• diet and watering (for example, drinking plenty of water after a heavy meal);
• supplies of easily fermenting feed to the animal immediately before or after an intensive walk (for example, oats, barley);
• the use of poor quality fodder in feeding livestock, as well as very cold, frozen fodder or rotten, sour, moldy or clogged with earth and sand;
• self-eating by animals of poisonous plant species in the pasture.

Malfunctions in the gastrointestinal tract of cattle can be caused by:

• severe overheating or hypothermia of the animal’s body (this is especially true for calves);
• foreign objects that have entered the gastrointestinal tract and interfere with its normal functioning;
• the presence in the body of a calf or adult of parasitic creatures.

Symptoms

Experienced veterinarians, zoologists and farmers talk about about 40 different types of diseases, one of the main symptoms of which is colic. Both in a calf and in an adult, it is possible to diagnose the presence of discomfort in the gastrointestinal region by the following signs:

• excited and restless behavior of the animal;
• constant stepping and sorting out the limbs;
• the calf or adult is constantly looking back at its belly and constantly fanning itself with its tail;
• the animal beats itself with its hind legs on the stomach;
• cattle adopt uncharacteristic postures, such as trying to sit like a dog or rocking their body from side to side. The young calf is constantly trying to lie on its stomach. This situation should absolutely not be allowed, as its body weight will put pressure on the gastrointestinal tract, and this, in turn, can further worsen the condition of the calf due to uneven distribution of pressure;

  

• the animal refuses the food and water offered to it;
• the appearance of the calf or adult in the abdomen changes, its volume increases sharply;
• the process of defecation occurs with great straining.

The above signs are the primary symptoms indicating the presence of colic in the calf and cattle. Secondary symptoms include the following:

• malfunction of the cardiovascular system;
• violation of the animal’s respiratory rate;
• improper functioning of the urinary system (too frequent urination or, conversely, its almost complete absence).

Methods of therapy

When diagnosing the presence of colic in an animal, he needs to provide assistance and relieve pain as soon as possible, since bloating causes severe discomfort to the individual. The method of treating colic in calves and cattle includes several main steps:

1. Initially, it is required to free the stomach and intestines of the animal from the food accumulated in it.
2. The animal should be drunk with sunflower or olive oil, mineral or mucous decoction (such remedies are used in folk medicine and are considered quite effective as first aid for a sick individual).
3. The spasm and pain sensations of the calf should be eliminated (medications such as No-shpa, Novalgin are used for this), and in order to relieve pain, the animal should be given sleeping pills and painkillers (Bromide, Novocain, analgesics).
4. Slight colic and bloating in very young calves are treated with chamomile infusion.
5. To restore the normal functioning of the gastric and intestinal tract of a sick individual, a special abdominal massage and rubbing should be done.

After the colic recede, it is necessary to restore the body to normal operation. You should not immediately give food to a previously sick individual. This must be done gradually, starting the process of feeding with boiled root vegetables and hay in a very limited amount.

Prevention

To avoid the appearance of such an unpleasant phenomenon as colic in cattle, several basic rules should be followed in feeding and keeping animals:

• for calves, the main rule is to observe a soft, gradual transition from a dairy type of nutrition to an adult type of nutrition;
• feed animals only with proven and high-quality feeds, observe the food intake regimen for each individual: the main rule should be the alternation of lighter and heavier food;
• avoid strong fluctuations in ambient temperature for animals (hypothermia or overheating of individuals), especially for calves. In the corral where individuals are kept, it is necessary to try to maintain a constant ambient temperature;
• for drinking in cattle, only clean water, preferably at room temperature, should be used;
• mandatory walks in the fresh air at any time of the year: this event is certainly suitable for prevention: both diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, and the whole organism as a whole.

Conclusion

Colic in a calf and cattle is a phenomenon that directly indicates the presence of malfunctions in the gastrointestinal tract of the animal’s body. Experienced farmers and breeders have long learned to independently diagnose the appearance of this unpleasant disease in animals and take all necessary measures to help them. It is important to understand that colic is a symptom of a large number of diseases, and in order to avoid their occurrence in calves and cattle, it is necessary to carefully monitor the regimen and quality of their nutrition, the living conditions of animals and their health in general.