Beef cattle are a vital part of the food system in the United States. The average American eats 271 pounds of beef per year; this is why disease prevention is so important in beef cattle (Barclay, 2012). If farmers were unable to identify, prevent, and treat diseases, the prices of beef would go up as a result of an increase in death due to diseases. The loss of a single animal can be devastating to small scale farmers and ranchers. Three diseases which are important in beef cattle are bloat, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, and a variety of parasites. Bloat is often considered a single disease; however, it is actually a combination of symptoms which can be caused by a variety of factors. “Bloat is a form of indigestion marked by excessive accumulation of gas in the rumen” (Rasby, 2012). When not identified and treated promptly, bloat can often be deadly within hours.
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Bloat can be identified by the expansion of an animal’s stomach often times on the left side. This can often be identified by tapping on the animal’s stomach. If the animal has bloat, the stomach will sound hollow, similar to the sound of a balloon when you tap it. There are two types of bloat, frothy bloat, and non-frothy bloat. Froth is formed when gas is not released after an animal eats; froth will prevent gas from being released and cause the problem to grow. Froth does not have to be present for an animal to be diagnosed with bloat; however it is often a symptom of bloat. Fortunately bloat is not contagious; however, bloat will often be present in multiple animals in a herd, because the prevention of bloat relies so heavily on management practices. Bloat can be caused by many things; the number one cause is due to the proteins in the forages the animal consumes. Bloat can be avoided by keeping beef animals on a carefully formulated diet. Too much green grass or too much high
Bloat can be identified by the expansion of an animal’s stomach often times on the left side. This can often be identified by tapping on the animal’s stomach. If the animal has bloat, the stomach will sound hollow, similar to the sound of a balloon when you tap it. There are two types of bloat, frothy bloat, and non-frothy bloat. Froth is formed when gas is not released after an animal eats; froth will prevent gas from being released and cause the problem to grow. Froth does not have to be present for an animal to be diagnosed with bloat; however it is often a symptom of bloat. Fortunately bloat is not contagious; however, bloat will often be present in multiple animals in a herd, because the prevention of bloat relies so heavily on management practices. Bloat can be caused by many things; the number one cause is due to the proteins in the forages the animal consumes. Bloat can be avoided by keeping beef animals on a carefully formulated diet. Too much green grass or too much high