Journal of Animal Research: v.5 n.1, p. 209-211. April. 2015

DOI Number: 10.5958/2277-940X.2015.00034.0

SHORT COMMUNICATION

Retention of Magnet in Reticulo-rumen for the Prevention of Traumatic Reticulo-

peritonitis in Dairy Cattle

Ashwani Kumar Sharma*, Pritpal Singh Dhaliwal and Sikh Tejinder Singh

Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Science,

Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, INDIA.

*Corresponding author: AK Sharma; Email: ashwanigadvasu@gmail.com

Received: 01 March, 2015

Accepted: 26 March, 2015

ABSTRACT

The present work was aimed to study retention time of magnet in reticulo-rumen for prevention of traumatic reticulo-peritonitis

in cattle. A total of 32 stall fed cattle from an organised dairy farm were screened for foreign bodies in reticulum with the

help of stud finder. Metallic foreign bodies were detected in 37.5 per cent of the cattle. The animals were orally administered

a cylindrical bar magnet of 70 mm length rounded at both ends. Subsequently, the animals were evaluated for the presence of

magnet in their reticulum, twice at 6 months interval with the help of magnetic compass, as well as with reticular radiograph

once at six months. The magnet was retained for 6 months in 78.1 per cent and for 1 year in 51.8 per cent of the animals. Yearly

evaluation of reticulum with compass is recommended to detect retention of magnet in cattle.

Keywords: Magnet, retention time, compass, reticular foreign body

Traumatic reticulo-peritonitis (TRP) is one of the leading

in the incidence of TRP has been recorded and a large

cause of fore-stomach dysfunction in cattle. It is caused

number of cattle are presented to the university teaching

by ingestion and entrapping of sharp foreign bodies in

hospital for this problem. Therefore, the use of stud finder

reticular mucosa which may further penetrate its wall

for location of foreign body and compass for detection

leading to various clinical manifestations. The disease

of magnet in the reticulum becomes imperative and need

primarily occurs in the stall fed dairy animals and is rare in

attention for use in field practices. A study was therefore

the pasture reared animals. Therefore, oral administration

conducted to evaluate suitability and retention time of

of magnet has been recommended to all the stall fed cattle

magnet for prevention of foreign body syndrome in cattle

for prevention of foreign body syndrome and its associated

and buffaloes. In India, the use of magnet for prevention

complications. The magnets settle in reticulum, attach to

of foreign body syndrome in cattle and buffaloes has not

ingested ferromagnetic foreign bodies and minimize the

been done and the study appears to be the first of its kind.

risk of penetration of reticular wall. Significant association

Thirty two apparently healthy adult stall fed cattle were

has been found between use of magnet and absence of

randomly selected from a dairy herd of about 300 adult

lesions in reticulum (Cramers et al. , 2005). In few studies

heads. The selected animals were screened for the presence

available, the re-administration interval of magnet for

of foreign body in their reticulum with the help of stud

reasonable protection has been variably recommended as

finder. A cylindrical bar magnet of 70 mm length, rounded

one to four year or lifelong on the basis of prevention of

at both ends was administered orally and the animals were

clinical signs (Braun et al ., 1993; Al-Abbadi et al ., 2014)

observed for any regurgitation and settlement of magnet

and no study solely directed to find retention of magnet

in reticulum for 2 hours with the help of compass. The

in reticulum for this period could be searched in available

animals were evaluated for the presence of magnet in their

literature. Furthermore, during last few years, an increase