Health
Digestive disorder due to rumen drinking
Calves in which milk enters the rumen during or immediately after feeding are called rumen drinkers.
Definition
Calves in which milk enters the rumen during or immediately after feeding are called rumen drinkers.Due to the distorted digestion, clay-like white grey manure arises, as a result of which these calves are also called clay shitters.
Cause
Penetration may be caused by poor conditions around feeding such as:bad mixing process
dirty buckets or gutters
deviating drinking temperature
deviating feeding times
non-adapted ration during illness
low average milk quality
Description
In calves that drink normally, the milk comes directly into the abomasum during drinking through the oesophageal-groove reflex. In case of a disturbance of the oesophageal-groove reflex, the milk ends up in the rumen. After drinking, milk can also flow back into the rumen from an overflowing abomasum.The milk cannot be digested in the rumen. In the rumen a rotting of the milk occurs, which causes the digestion to be disrupted. The deviating manure resulting from this is clay-like. Rumen drinkers are therefore also called clay shitters. Due to a disturbed digestion, the animals have a reduced growth, a deviating hair and an often swollen, hanging belly after feeding. Belly sounds can be heard when the belly is moving.
Treatment
The rumen should be emptied by means of a probe or tube and rinse with lukewarm water to reduce the acute symptoms. In case of acidification it is wise to rinse the rumen with water containing 50-100 gram bicarbonate.Next, the drinker should be watered during the 4 feedings and extra water during the day. Young calves can be put on the teat because the sucking of the oesophagus-groove reflex is stimulated by the sucking when drinking. In case of chronic cases that have already been rinsed several times, one can consider taking such calves from the milk and putting them on roughage.
