Be Aware of Indigestion and Laminitis

Indigestion is a digestive disorder of the stomach characterized by decreased rumen movement accompanied by constipation. Indigestion can occur suddenly, within several hours to a few days. It is often caused by improper feeding patterns — such as excessive carbohydrates or fiber — leading to symptoms like lethargy and loss of appetite. One form of indigestion is acidosis.

Acidosis Condition in Cattle

Acidosis is a condition in which acid accumulates in the blood and body tissues. It occurs when cattle consume excessive amounts of feed rich in easily fermentable carbohydrates such as wheat or corn.Feed consumed by ruminants enters the rumen and undergoes fermentation by rumen bacteria. These bacteria respond to the increased availability of digestible carbohydrates with heightened metabolic activity, producing more chemical compounds such as VFA (Volatyle Fatty Acid) and lactate, which may lead to rumen acidosis.When carbohydrate intake exceeds the physiological limit, rumen pH drops, affecting systemic metabolism. This condition impacts the microbial population balance, the rumen’s catabolic capacity, and the excretion of metabolic by-products.

Clinical signs of carbohydrate-induced acidosis include lethargy, reluctance to move, loss of appetite, decreased milk production, and reduced rumen motility. The rumen may appear distended inward or outward, filled with dense ingesta. Affected cattle often show signs of dehydration — dry nose, sunken eyes, and delayed skin turgor return. Feces may become scant, mucous-coated, or soft.

Laminitis in Cattle

Laminitis is an inflammatory condition of the laminar corium, the supporting tissue of the pedal bone in the hoof wall or digitalis. Laminitis is a systemic disorder with physical symptoms or signs in the digitalis area. Inflammation of the digitalis is a common condition, and its occurrence often goes unnoticed by farmers. However, this condition can actually cause significant economic losses.

Laminitis can be triggered by several factors, including environmental factors, maintenance management, and nutrition. Environmental and management factors include the process and frequency of hoof trimming, as well as trauma to the hooves caused by hard, slippery, rough barn floors. Additionally, livestock with vascularization issues (blood circulation), those with excessive or insufficient exercise, and those with foot structures that increase weight and stress on the feet can also trigger internal damage and digital inflammation. Nutritional factors associated with laminitis include acidosis due to high carbohydrate consumption in feed. Cattle suffering from laminitis will show symptoms of pain in the hooves and redness in the hoof horns. The hooves may also experience bleeding or tissue death.

Indigestion Can Trigger Laminitis

Laminitis in livestock is often caused by a high-carbohydrate diet, which leads to acidosis and a decrease in systemic pH. A decrease in systemic pH can activate vasoactive mechanisms that increase the pulse (heart rate) and blood flow throughout the body. Acidosis triggers the release of histamine as a foreign reaction to changes, imbalances, and disease. This condition causes blood vessels to undergo vasoconstriction or narrowing when the blood vessel walls tighten, making them narrower. Vasoconstriction of blood vessels will affect the feet and hooves because the feet and hooves support the weight of the body, resulting in pressure on these areas. When blood flow to the nails is reduced or even stops for a long period of time, it can cause blood vessels to undergo necrosis, which affects the physical changes in the surrounding tissue. As a result of damage to the microvasculature and low supply of nutrients and oxygen to the epidermal cells, the epidermal layer is damaged. This causes tissue death in the lamina and corium of the nails. This results in laminitis, which is characterized by lameness. In general, laminitis can be seen 4 to 8 weeks after rumen acidosis occurs.

Impacts of Laminitis

The severity of laminitis can be influenced by several factors, such as hoof abnormalities and foot deformities. These factors are related to microvascularization disorders or blood flow in the hoof area due to damage to the laminar part of the hoof that folds inward, causing pressure on the corium. In addition, it can also be influenced by dietary factors, namely an imbalance between concentrate and fiber, which will cause acidosis, ketosis, and endotoxemia. Laminitis in cattle will cause problems:

• Lameness, pain, damage, and changes to the structure of the hooves, making it difficult for cows to walk.
• Decreased appetite and milk production
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• Increased medical costs, decreased productivity, increased risk of forced culling
• Indirect effects on reproductive performance, such as delayed estrus cycles in cows. Cows with lameness are 3.5 times more likely to experience delayed postpartum estrus cycles than normal cows (Garbarino et al., 2004).

Control of Acidosis and Laminitis

Some things that can be done to control acidosis and laminitis include:

• Provide high-quality feed according to livestock needs with a balanced formulation of carbohydrates, protein, and forage as a source of fiber. Add premix. Mix Plus Cattle Pro containing multivitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
• When changing feed, introduce the new feed gradually so that the rumen microbes can adapt. Avoid feeding large amounts of high-carbohydrate, low-fiber feed (concentrate) in a short period of time.
• Unlimited supply of clean drinking water.
• Supplement administration Digesfit to increase appetite and overcome digestive disorders.
• If livestock showing signs of acidosis are found, replace their feed with high-fiber feed (fresh forage). Feeding high-fiber feed stimulates saliva production and balances excessive acid production in the rumen. Improve nutritional management by formulating a balance between carbohydrate intake (cassava, gaplek, onggok), protein (soybean meal), and forage as a source of fiber. Digesfit dapat diberikan untuk mengatasi gangguan pencernaan. Digesfit beneficial for improving beneficial microbiota in the digestive system, maintaining rumen pH, and improving digestibility.
• Regular nail checks to detect abnormalities in the nails early on before they develop into severe lesions.
• Provision of comfortable bedding or flooring in the pen. Optimal pen sanitation; pens must not be muddy, and water must flow directly into the drainage system so that it does not stagnate.
• If laminitis is detected, immediate treatment is necessary to speed up recovery. Livestock can be separated in a treatment pen for treatment. Treatment from the animal health team is provided according to the condition of the livestock. Such as anti-inflammatories Dexavet or Medipiron, vitamin administration Injekvit B Complex can also be given to speed up healing. If a secondary bacterial infection occurs, antibiotics may be considered.