464 DISEASES OF CATTLE, SHEEP, GOATS, ETC. 



PUNCTURING THE RUMEN. 



This is an operation that when indicated has to be performed at 

 once or the animal may be lost. It is indicated in severe cases of 

 acute tympanites in cattle, commonly known as hoven, which is due 

 to the generation of gas resulting from fermentation. Recurrent at- 

 tacks of hoven are usually due to tubercular infiltration of the me- 

 diastinal and bronchial glands. To relieve this detention an ordi- 

 nary cattle trocar and canula are inserted into the rumen, the most 

 distended portion of the left side of the animal being the part se- 

 lected. The trocar is withdrawn and the canula left in until the gas 

 has fully escaped. 



Puncturing is not a serious operation in cattle, and in cases of 

 great distention should be performed without hesitancy or delay. 

 Relief is almost instantaneous in many cases. Of course, the proper 

 remedial agents should be administered to arrest further fermenta- 

 tion. (See Tympanites, pages 83-85.) 



RUMENOTOMY. 



The opening of the paunch, or rumen, in cattle and the removal 

 of a part or the whole of the ingesta through said opening is termed 

 rumenotomy. The operation should be performed in severe cases 

 only, where the rumen is excessively overloaded and distended. The 

 animal is placed with its right side against a wall and firmly held in 

 position by strong assistants. The incision is made in the same place 

 that the trocar is inserted for puncturing the organ in cases of hoven. 

 The opening is increased in size until the operator's hand can be in- 

 serted into the rumen. Before any of the contents are removed from 

 that organ a linen cloth should be placed from the outer wound 

 into the rumen in order to prevent any of the ingesta from getting 

 into the abdominal cavity. After removing a portion of the contents 

 of the rumen some practitioners introduce such medicine as may be 

 indicated before closing the wound. Clean the wound and close the 

 opening in the rumen with uninterrupted carbolized catgut sutures. 

 Next close the external wound, consisting of the integument muscle, 

 and peritoneum, with stout, interrupted metallic sutures. No food 

 should be given for several hours after the operation and then 

 gruels only. (See Distention of Rumen with Food, page 85.) 



TREATMENT OF ABSCESSES. 



An abscess may be detected, if situated externally, by heat, pain, 

 redness, and swelling in the early stages, and, if further developed, 

 by the fluctuation which will be present. When any of these symp- 

 toms are absent, the suppuration should be encouraged by the means 

 of hot fomentations and poultices. Care must be taken that the ab- 

 scess is not opened too soon, or it may to some extent cause it to 

 scatter and the escape of pus will be lessened. The time to open an 

 abscess is just before it is ready to break, and should be done with a 

 sharp lance, a crucial incision sometimes being necessary. The cav- 

 ity should be syringed out with an antiseptic solution. Care should 

 be taken not to allow the wound to close too rapidly, and to prevent 

 this a tent of lint or oakum should be introduced. 



