bloated cow

[tom454881]

i have a 1 year old angus mix male. he has always appeared to be bloated even when just a calf. also his hair is long and curly. any ideas as to what could be causing this? a friend mentioned cushings disease. not even sure cows can get cushings disease. help please

[BecM]

does he seem to suffer any discomfort from this? what sort of diet is he on?

[Rhodie]

Worms are a possibility, a dull, long coat with bloated appearence is a common sign of an infestation.

[tom454881]

Originally Posted by BecM

does he seem to suffer any discomfort from this? what sort of diet is he on?

no discomfort that i can see. he is on natural grass and grain about twice a week.

[tom454881]

Originally Posted by Rhodie

Worms are a possibility, a dull, long coat with bloated appearence is a common sign of an infestation.

i actually treated all five of my cows yesterday, however have not seen any diarrhea or worm in their cow pies. just to be safe i treated them anyway.

[tom454881]

Originally Posted by BecM

does he seem to suffer any discomfort from this? what sort of diet is he on?

no he is not in any distress.

[tom454881]

Originally Posted by Rena

If he is otherwise healthy looking, I wouldn't worry. I have a dairy girl that bloats over about anything...I just keep an eye on her cudding, manure and appetite as well as how much she drinks....oh yes, our little bull calf from last year seemed to bloat easily too....I did give him extra grass hay which seemed to help him as he was on grazing. Sounds like your fella is doing ok, just keep an eye on him. It may very well be his 'normal'.

Rena

Oh and as an afterthought, probiotics wouldn't hurt, I'm sure.

thanks rena. he seems fine just the look of him worries me. tom

[BecM]

Originally Posted by tom454881

no discomfort that i can see. he is on natural grass and grain about twice a week.

Have you always fed him grain only a couple of times per week? Cows like consistency in their diet due the the way they primarily digest feed.. the rumen bacteria may become unbalanced if there is a big hit of grain a couple of times per week and insufficient starch digesting bacteria to break it down. Another possible cause for bloat. On the other hand, if it doesn't seem to affect him adversely, I wouldn't be hugely concerned.

Bec

[Richard S]

There are several types of "bloat"...........you have frothy bloat also know as Acidiosis and then there is non-frothy bloat.

Frothy comes from diet, ie.......certain types of clover, not properly transitioning cattle from pasture to grain etc., the is very common in feedlots and clover fields. The frothy bloat happens when the cow cannot belch due to blockage in the digestive system caused by frothy fluid forming in the stomach. The cow will become enlarged on the left side and high up into the shoulder.

Non-frothy is generally caused by metals............nails, staple and wire that the cow might swallow which then embeds in the stomach of the cow infecting the cows digestion tract there by preventing the cow from belching.