Bloat in Cattle 261 



from indigestion, impaction of the rumen with undi- 

 gested food, or from choking, but in these cases the gas 

 passes away as soon as the cause of the disease is 

 removed. 



Bloating is easily recognized from the prominent 

 symptoms. The first one is usually that the animal 

 stands off by itself and refuses to eat. Upon examina- 

 tion, the belly is found to be greatly distended, par- 

 ticularly on the left side, that part bulging outward 

 and upward like a dome. The animal stands humped 

 up and breathes with difficulty, often emitting a grunt 

 or moan as it breathes. There is often a dripping of 

 saliva from the mouth. There may be colicky pains 

 shown by the animal's stepping uneasily about, or kick- 

 ing at the belly. The rectum sometimes protrudes, 

 owing to the internal pressure of the gas. As the 

 bloating increases, the animal may stagger and fall. 

 In hoven, the animal may die from suffocation, or, as 

 it loses consciousness, it may fall and rupture some of 

 the stomachs or other organs subjected to the excessive 

 pressure of gas. 



The method of treatment will depend upon the con- 

 dition of the animal. If the bloating is severe, so that 

 there is danger of the animal's suffocating or falling, 

 the side should be tapped at once. This is done after 

 confining the animal by tying the head. A small in- 

 cision is then made through the skin over the most 

 prominent part of the swelling on the left side, about 

 half way between the point of the hip and the last rib. 

 Two instruments, called a "trocar" and a "canula," are 

 then inserted through the hole in the skin, directed 



