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Treating acute ruminal tympany in cattle with cut tobacco

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Acute ruminal tympany is a common disease in cattle. When cattle eat large amounts of easily fermentable feed, especially legumes before flowering, they are most prone to this disease; in addition, eating moldy and spoiled forage, poisonous plants, or pasture covered with frost or dew can also promote the occurrence of the disease. Affected cattle show rapid abdominal distension, with obvious swelling of the left flank, which is elastic on palpation. In severe cases, the animal is restless, has difficulty breathing, a violent heartbeat, a weak and thready pulse, and cyanotic conjunctiva. In the late stage of the disease, the affected cattle are depressed, have extreme difficulty breathing, and are unwilling to move; if forced

Acute ruminal tympany is a common disease in cattle. When cattle eat large amounts of easily fermentable feed, especially legumes before flowering, they are most prone to this disease; in addition, eating moldy and spoiled forage, poisonous plants, or pasture covered with frost or dew can also promote the occurrence of the disease.

Affected cattle show rapid abdominal distension, with obvious swelling of the left flank, which is elastic on palpation. In severe cases, the animal is restless, has difficulty breathing, a violent heartbeat, a weak and thready pulse, and cyanotic conjunctiva. In the late stage of the disease, the affected cattle are depressed, have extreme difficulty breathing, and are unwilling to move; if the cattle are forcibly led, their gait is unsteady and they sway from side to side. Because the condition is acute and the course of the disease is short, if not treated in time, the affected cattle often die of suffocation in the end due to blocked eructation and difficulty breathing. For many years, in some remote areas, after farm cattle developed the disease, because of a shortage of doctors and medicines, local materials were used, and cut tobacco was used to treat more than 20 cases; the results showed that the therapeutic effect was fairly ideal.

For example, in the spring of 1989, one 3-year-old male water buffalo in No. 1 Squadron of the Fourth Brigade developed acute ruminal tympany after eating an excessive amount of Chinese milk vetch; 600 grams of cooking oil was boiled, 125 grams of cut tobacco was added and fried until black, then 1 to 1.5 kg of water was added, and when it had cooled or was warm it was drenched; at the same time, a peeled Toona sinensis stick was placed crosswise in the affected cow's mouth, with a rope tied to each end and hung on the horns, and the affected cow was led to walk slowly. After half an hour, the symptoms were seen to lessen, the abdominal distension gradually decreased, the left flank subsequently regained its hollow, the rumen began to move, and rumination also resumed.

If sheep develop acute ruminal tympany, this method can also be used for treatment, but the dosage should be reduced accordingly.

After treatment by the above method, although the appetite and rumination function of the affected cattle have begun to recover, do not rush to feed them; wait two hours before feeding a small amount of soft, low-moisture, easily digestible forage, and then gradually return to the normal feeding amount.

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