Journal vet: ‘My cow has a wire inside her’

If a cow has a wire, it is a simple way for vets to explain a condition called traumatic reticuloperitonitis. It is a relatively uncommon diagnosis nowadays, so I was mildly surprised when a client had diagnosed it prior to my examination of his cow last week. Furthermore, his diagnosis was correct.

Cows are fairly undiscerning about what they eat. If there is twine, plastic or metal, all the better as far as they are concerned.

When metal objects are swallowed, they remain in the reticulum of the cow’s stomach for the rest of their lives. It acts like a little dustbin within the stomachs.

In abattoirs, metal is often found in the reticulum of cattle. When these metal objects are long and sharp (ie a wire or nail), they will slowly penetrate the tissues surrounding the reticulum such as the liver, spleen and, most importantly, the heart.

With each ruminal contraction, the nail can be pushed forward to poke through the diaphragm, lungs and heart. Bacteria will follow the wire through, setting up infections as it moves.

The most serious site for such an infection is the sac around the heart. When the wire gets this far, the cow will run a temperature, breathe with shallow breaths, have a humped appearance and maybe walk with a little grunt.

Your vet will look for signs of congestive heart failure also, such as a muffled heart sounds, a jugular pulse and a build-up of oedema in unusual places. Treatment varies from an operation to look for the offending wire or just treating the symptoms and hoping for the best.

A slight compromise is passing a magnet orally, which can help pull the wire back into the reticulum and ease symptoms while treating the infection and heart issues.

My client knew the diagnosis, so had seen the condition before. It is a condition that we see less and less of, as farm yards are generally tidier and less cluttered than in the past.

Sean Coffey works at Mulcair Vet Clinic, Newport, Co Tipperary, part of XLVets, a group of progressive practices working together to achieve a better future for agriculture and veterinary in Ireland.