Today I had an experience with a cow that was dealing with bloat. I remember learning about bloat in my animal diseases course and my animal nutrition class I took at the University of Maine and I want to share my knowledge! There are two general types of bloat called frothy and non frothy (dry) bloat. This relates to how quickly feed is being digested and if the cow is unable to belch and release the gas buildup this can cause visible rumen distention. This distention can be observed by looking at the left half of the body near the pin bones (hip bones)! We can help prevent instances of bloat by ensuring that our calves are receiving feed that is not too finely ground up and that plenty of forage is being offered. In the event that a cow become severely bloated then immediate release of gas can be accomplished by using a special device that can be inserted directly into the side of the cow, specifically by the rumen. In the illustration below, you can see the highlighted area on the cow that gets distended during bloat. If the bloat is not severe, then using a veterinarian grade hose can relieve gas buildup and even the foam from frothy bloat.
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