Traumatic Reticuloperitonitis

TRP and its allied syndrome in Cattle

Hardware Disease
Foreign Body Disease
by
Dr. Ali H. Sadiek
Prof. of Internal Veterinary Medicine
and Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Assiut University
E-mail: Sadiek59@yahoo.com

1 Prof. dr. Ali sadiek

 Traumatic Reticuloperitonitis
• TRP, is a common disease in adult cattle caused by
the ingestion and migration of a foreign body in the
reticulum.
• Cattle are more likely to ingest foreign bodies than
small ruminants since they do not use their lips for
prehension and are more likely to eat a chopped feed.
• The disease caused great economic losses among
cattle (Decreased Milk yield, decreased feed conversion,
and deaths)
• The typical foreign body is a metallic object, such as a
piece of wire or a nail, often greater than 2.5 cm in
length. Or any sharp needles etc, that can cattle swallow
it during grazing, hand feeding etc.
2 Prof. dr. Ali sadiek
 Traumatic Reticuloperitonitis
• Dairy cattle older than 2 years of age more
commonly affected than beef cattle since they
are more likely to be fed a chopped feed, such
as silage or haylage.
• A large number of adult dairy cattle have metallic
foreign bodies in their reticulum without signs of
clinical disease.
• Tenesmus or a gravid uterus, are likely
predisposing factors causing migration of the
foreign body into the reticular wall.

3 Prof. dr. Ali sadiek

 Pathogenesis of TRP

• Lack of oral discrimination in cattle lead to

ingestion of foreign bodies.
• It may be lodged in the upper esophagus and
cause obstruction.
• It may be in the esophageal groove and causes
vomiting.
• It may remain fixed without penetration and
without serious results and will gradually be
voided away.
• Mostly it may pass to the reticulum where the
vigorous contraction, the nail penetrate it.
• Rarely It may be pass toward the spleen or liver.

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 Common sequelle of
Traumatic Perforation of reticulum
1- Acute local peritonitis
Diaphragmatic hernia
2- Acute diffuse peritonitis
Toxemia, Depression and
Recumbency
3- Chronic Local peritonitis
Vagus indigestion
4- Pericarditis
Death with CHF
5- Recovery
5 Prof. dr. Ali sadiek
 Uncommon sequelle of
Traumatic Perforation of reticulum
1- Rupture of gastroepiploic artery
Internal hemorrhage & death
2- Abscess in liver, spleen, diaphragm
3- Pneumonia and pyelonephritis.
4- Endocarditis
5- Rupture of coronary artery and
pericardium (Hemorrhage and Cardiac
Tamponade)

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 Clinical signs of TRP
• The classic signs of acute, localized
peritonitis characterized by: Sudden
anorexia, drop in milk yield, fever, ruminal
stasis and local pain in the abdomen.
• If the foreign body has penetrated the
diaphragm and pericardium, affected cattle
also can have muffled heart sounds, jugular
pulses, and brisket edema secondary to
congestive heart failure caused by
pericarditis
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I- Clinical signs of Acute Local Peritonitis

1- Sudden stop of eating.

2- Marked Depression in Milk yield to the 3rd
3- Sub acute Abd. Pain.
4-Abdominal pain, reluctant to move, often grunts
when made to move
5- Stands with arched back and tense abdominal wall ,
stucked abdomen.
7- Urination and defecation may be assoc. with grunt.
8- Mild fever, tachypnea.
9- Absence of ruminal motility and development of mild
bloat
10- Constipation

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 II- Signs of Acute diffuse peritonitis
ƒ It is ch. by severe toxemia within 1-2 days
after onset of acute local peritonitis.
ƒ Complete ruminal atony.
ƒ Mild fever of mild hypothermia in post-partum
cases,
ƒ Tachycardia > 100/min.
ƒ Pain is inducible allover the entire abdomen.
ƒ Finally profound depression, peripheral
circulatory failure and absence of symptoms.
ƒ Recumbency, coma similar to that of Milk
fever,
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 III- Cl. signs of Chronic Local Peritonitis

• A significant population of affected cattle

develops chronic or subclinical TRP that
is not as easily diagnosed as acute TRP.
• Chronic peritonitis ch. by
¾Anorexia and unthriftiness.
¾Decreased milk production.
¾Rumen hypomotility.
¾Change in manure consistency.
10 Prof. dr. Ali sadiek
 Diagnosis of TRP
1. History of Sharp fall in milk yeild and appetitie.
2. Clinical examination.
3. Pain test:
4. Ferroscopy : A metal detector (Radiography of the
reticulum.
5. Laboratory tests: Abdominocentesis, hematocrit,
leukocyte count, blood biochemical profiles were
performed and glutaraldehyde coagulation test.
6. Ultrasonographic examination:
7. Exploratory laparotomy:
8. Exploratory rumenotomy

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 3-Pain test
Pain test: pain accompanies reticular or ruminal
contractions may be watched or induced as
follow:
¾ Vigorus palpation of the abdominal wall behind
the sternal xiphoid process.
¾ Exerted Pressure by the closed fist or the knee.
¾ Pinching the withers to cause depression of the
back.
¾ Sharp elevation of animal under the abdomen.
A positive response to any of these tests is a grunt
of pain audible by the ear, but you detect it more
clearly by auscultalion of the trachea. and could
be watched during examination as an aid of
diagnosis.
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 3- pain test “pinching weather”

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 3- Pain test“Sharp elevation of animal”

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 3-Pain test “grunt when firmly pressed down ”

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 4- Ferroscopy (a Metal detector)

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 5- Laboratory tests
I- Complete blood count :
¾ In general, cattle with persistent purulent inflammation have
leukocytosis and neutrophilia.
¾ In acute, localized peritonitis , CBC may be normal in some
cases or have a degenerative left shift (band neutrophils,
outnumbering segmented neutrophils) in others.
¾ Acute diffuse peritonitis assoc. with degenerative left shift.
¾ In chronic cases, a mature neutrophilia is common.
¾ Lymphopenia: secondary to the stress (Releasing corticosteroid)
causing cell redistribution; circulating lymphocytes do not re-
enter the lymphatics but become sequestered in lymphoid tissue
and bone marrow.

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 5- Laboratory tests
II- Serum biochemical profile:
¾ Hyperproteinemia with a hyperglobulinemia: a total serum protein
> 10 mg/dL is highly suggestive of TRP.
¾ Increased fibrinogen > 1 g/dL. Fibrinogen is an acute phase protein, and
in cattle it may be the best indicator of acute inflammation because
fibrinogen concentrations often increase prior to development of
neutrophilia.
¾ Hypochloremia, hypokalemia, and metabolic alkalosis; may be
due to sequestration of HCL in the rumen due to rumen stasis or
vagal indigestion.
¾ Hypokalemia is caused primarily by anorexia, but may be
potentiated slightly by ion exchange caused by the alkalosis
and/or abomasal reflux into the rumen.
¾ With alkalosis, intracellular H+ ions can be exchanged for
extracellular K+ ions, decreasing serum potassium
concentrations.

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 5- Laboratory tests
2- Peritoneal fluid of suggestive of
peritonitis ch. By:
¾ Turbid or containing gross pus or fibrin are indicative
of peritonitis, at least locally.
¾ Normal bovine peritoneal fluid clot upon standing.
¾ Nucl. Cell Count (NCC) > 10,000 cells,+ neutrophils >
40%. + Immature, degenerative, or toxic neutrophils is
suggestive of purulent peritonitis .
¾ The presence of intracellular bacteria and/or
degenerate neutrophils indicates septic peritonitis.

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 5- Laboratory tests
ƒ Two degenerative
neutrophils with
phagocytosed bacteria in
abdominocentesis fluid from
a cow with TRP Bacteria
also in the background of
the smear

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 6- IV- X-ray and Sonography

Hyperechoic deposits noticed

adjacent to the reticular wall
suggestive of fibrin deposit

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7- Exploratory Laboratomy and Rumenotomy

• Refers to surgery

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 Differential Diagnoses of TRP
TRP must be distinguished from other causes of
peritonitis or abdominal pain for a definitive
diagnosis.
1. Pyelonephritis: presence of pus and blood in urine.
2. LDA: presence of abomasal sounds in the left flank.
3. Hepatic leosions there is pain over the posterior ribs
on the right side, Jaundice etc.
4. Rumen acidosis: Tachycardia, staggering,
recumbency, blindness; hypothermia. No history of
engorgement no signs of hemoconcentration.

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 Differential Diagnoses of TRP
5. A perforating abomasal ulcer: mild-abdominal
pain. may show evidence of gastrointestinal
leakage, such as plant material, on
abdominocentesis,.
6. Indigestion and ketosis: Cows with indigestion or
ketosis should not be painful and ketotic cows will have
ketones in their urine, as detected by dipstick analysis.
• Total plasma protein should not be increased in
a cow with either indigestion or ketosis and are
less severely increased in a cow with a
perforating abomasal ulcer.

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 Differential Diagnoses of TRP
7. Laboratory tests can be helpful in
distinguishing cases of chronic TRP from other
gastrointestinal diseases and are more
accessible to veterinarians than other
diagnostic tests, such as survey radiology or
contrast radiography of the reticulum.

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 Traumatic Reticuloperitonitis

Metal door spring removed from a A nail is embedded in the mucosa

cow’s reticulum of the reticulum

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 Traumatic Reticuloperitonitis
ƒ A nail has penetrated the
reticulum, causing traumatic
reticuloperitonitis and the
death of this cow.
ƒ A piece of wire has penetrated the
reticulum and diaphragm before
lodging in the pericardium.
Pericardial effusion and fibrin
deposition resulted from this
traumatic injury

27 Prof. dr. Ali sadiek

 Treatment of TRP
A) Conservative treatment:
• Rest, Immobilize animal by tying it to a place and front
feet should be elevated about 35 cm above the floor.
• Feeding and watering on the spot and reduce roughage.
ƒ A Bar magnets 7.5 x 2.5 cm with rounded end should be
instilled to recover or immobilize the metal foreign body
ƒ Systemic antibiotic for 3-7 days (penicillin, ceftiofur,
ampicillin, or tetracycline).
ƒ Anti-inflammatory (phenyle-butazone, Diclofen, etc)
ƒ Affected cattle should be re-evaluated in 48-72 hours.
ƒ If a magnet is already in place or conservative therapy is
not successful, an exploratory laparotomy/ rumenotomy
is indicated for removal of the foreign body.

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 Prevention of TRP
• Prevention of TRP is preferred to either conservative
medical treatment or surgery.
• Although one source does not believe magnets are an
effective preventative measure, the majority of
clinicians agree that all cattle over one year of age
should have a prophylactic magnet placed in the
reticulum.
• Following oral administration, most magnets do not
enter the reticulum directly, but are first deposited in
the cranial sac of the rumen before entering the
reticulum following ruminal contractions.

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 Prevention of TRP
• Cattle should be kept away
from construction sites
and crop fields should be
monitored for metal debris.
• Also, processed feed can
be passed over magnets to
recover any magnetic
foreign bodies prior to
being fed to cattle.

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 Diaphragmatic hernia
• Herniation of a portion of the reticulum through a
diaphragmatic rupture caused by:
1. Weaking of the diaphragm, by
2. Lesions of T.R.P. or
3. Congenital defects causes chronic ruminal Tympany.
Signs of diaphragmatic hernia
• There is loss of condition,
• Moderate Tympany,
• Grinding of the teeth,
• Pasty and scanty feces .
• Cessation of Rumination and the animal may vomit
when a stomach tube is passed.
• No fever and pulse is slower.
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 Diaphragmatic hernia
• A systolic murmur is usually audible on auscultation
and the intensity of the heart sound; may suggest
displacement of the heart usually interiorly or to the
left.
• More severe syndrome is recorded in cases where
viscera other than a portion of the reticulum is
herniated.
• Peristaltic sounds may be audible in the thorax and
there may be interference with respiration and signs
of pain with each reticular contraction.
• Death from inanition in 3-4 weeks after the onset of
bloat.

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