What to do if the cow has lost gum

Loss of chewing gum in cows is a symptom of a malfunctioning food processing system in the stomach. Chewing gum is the process of re-chewing coarse food, which contributes to its assimilation. Veterinarians call the causes of pathologies malnutrition, calving and pregnancy.

Why do cows chew constantly?

These animals became ruminant during evolution. They did not have claws, sharp fangs and other attributes of protection from predators, so they had to quickly grab and swallow food, and then chew it in a safe place and get useful substances.

As a result, their body adapted to this lifestyle by changing the structure of the gastrointestinal tract. Rapid ingestion of plant foods did not allow to get all the useful substances from it, so the stomach "learned" to return the lump into the oral cavity for thorough chewing and enrichment with saliva. Such a system simplified and accelerated further digestion and isolation of vitamins, sugars and enzymes from the plant mass. Over time, the cow’s digestive organ is divided into several chambers. Did you know? The cohabitation of cows and people has been going on for 8 thousand years. In a modern cow, chewing gum is due to the special structure of the stomach. Unlike other (non-ruminant) animals and humans, cattle must obtain complex sugars from fiber from hard foods. In order to obtain such sugars, a complex stomach structure is necessary - cows have 4 chambers, each of which has its own function.

There are such sections:

  • scar;
  • grid;
  • book;
  • abomasum.

The structure of the cow’s stomach Chewed grass falls into the scar, which is the largest chamber, its volume reaches 200 liters in a healthy adult animal. In this chamber on the mucous membrane live beneficial bacteria that promote digestion. Bacteria in conjunction with saliva decompose food and prepare it for return to the oral cavity and processing in the following chambers. Food is in the rumen for 20–48 hours. After the initial digestion, the food is pushed into the oral cavity for further chewing. This is called chewing gum. Did you know? The jaw of a cow makes 30 to 90 chewing movements in 1 minute. The second stage of digestion is the stomach section of the mesh. Well-ground gum gets here. Then, brought to a certain condition, the grass goes into the book. A volume of food equal to 10 liters is placed here, and the walls absorb water, sodium and phosphorus from the grass. Only after passing through all these stages, the food is sent to the abomasum and further through the gastrointestinal tract.

Lack of chewing gum: causes and how to cause it

Breeders are scared by the lack of constant chewing in cows, as this is a sign of serious problems. The causes of this phenomenon may be the following conditions:

  • ingestion of an inedible object that injures the scar;
  • past stress;
  • diseases - atony, tympanum of the scar;
  • digestive tract obstruction (traumatic reticulitis);
  • postpartum changes (displacement of internal organs).

All these reasons require intervention by the veterinarian or can be eliminated by folk remedies.


This disease is a decrease in peristalsis of all sections of the stomach of a cow. The musculature of the organ stops contracting, undigested food is delayed in the rumen, which leads to increased gas formation and obstruction. The causes of this phenomenon are:

  • sharp replacement of the feed base;
  • poor-quality food - grass or mold grain, too wet food;
  • food saturated with succulent herbs or concentrates;
  • polluted water;
  • lack of active grazing.

Atony can be treated both with the help of alternative medicine methods, and with medicines suggested by the veterinarian. Alternative medicine says that if a cow does not eat, does not drink and has no chewing gum, then it is necessary to give the animal tincture of hellebore grass. The medicine can be purchased at specialized pharmacies at veterinarians.

To prepare the medicine, 2 ml of the drug is diluted in 0.4 l of water. The resulting solution is evaporated to the cattle. The therapeutic effect is achieved after a double infusion of the solution with an interval of 20 minutes.

The help of traditional medicine consists in injecting a 0.1% carbohaline solution. Relief in the animal occurs after the same two-time administration of the drug.

If pathology is observed in the calf, then a drug such as sodium chloride is administered intravenously. In this case, treatment with folk remedies consists in massaging the hungry cavity on the left side of the animal. It also helps to start digestion and fresh milk in a volume of 2-3 liters.

Tympania scar

If the cow has lost gum, this is a sign of pathological changes in the stomach. In particular, it is a symptom of tympanic scar, or bloating of the first chamber of the stomach. Pathology occurs when the esophagus is blocked and gases accumulate in the rumen.

Tympanum appears as a result of feeding animals with stale mold or water in contaminated water bodies. Bloating begins when alfalfa, legumes, too much corn and cobs get into the rumen, and too wet foods are present in the diet. They irritate the mucous membrane of the scar, the load on this section of the stomach increases. The disease is especially dangerous for calves. Gassing in the rumen increases and changes the volume of the organ as a whole, which leads to pressure on the diaphragm and lungs. Without assistance, cattle die from suffocation.

Treatment of tympany of the scar with folk remedies begins immediately after the discovery of the problem. First of all, the cow needs to get a massage of the hungry cavity of the peritoneum. This procedure is carried out with a hard brush, fist or a plait of dry grass.

The position of the animal, contributing to a better discharge of gases during tympanum. Among the means of traditional medicine for the treatment of cattle are used:
  • iodized water - a solution of 1 tbsp. tablespoons of iodine and 400 g of water;
  • 2-3 liters of freshly milked milk;
  • ammonia with water in a proportion of 10–20 g of alcohol for every 0.5 l of water;
  • vegetable oil in a volume of 200 g

Further treatment is carried out on an empty stomach, therefore it is recommended to keep the cow on a hungry diet for a day, but not to deprive of water. After a day, you can begin to introduce the usual feed.

To accelerate the passage of gases, the animal is placed so that the front of the body is higher than the back. If necessary, call a veterinarian who will insert a probe into the stomach of the cow.

Traumatic reticulitis

Ruminant loss in cattle is a symptom of traumatic reticulitis. Pathology is caused by the ingress of foreign objects into the feed - glass, stones, nails, wire. It is also caused by large pieces of root crops and other components of the feed.

Important! Traumatic reticulitis is dangerous. It can cause perforation of the walls of the chambers of the stomach.

The disease can be identified by the following symptoms:

  • general weakness;
  • the animal spreads its legs wide in a standing pose;
  • the back arches;
  • the cow is moving slowly;
  • experiencing pain when changing position from standing to lying and vice versa;
  • weak or completely lack of appetite;
  • no chewing gum.
The treatment of such a pathology is carried out by a veterinarian using a probe with a magnet. If he did not help to remove the foreign object, then surgical intervention will be required. When the item is removed, the cow is transferred to a gentle feeding regimen - flour "talkers" and soft hay. Also, the veterinarian makes such an animal an injection of drugs - Creolin, Ichthyol, Benzonaphthol.


The birth of a calf is stress for the body of the animal, so the loss of chewing gum can occur both before childbirth and after them. Before calving, the absence of belching and chewing of grass does not occur due to a change in the position of internal organs due to the growth of the fetus. Immediately after birth, the animal suffers from this pathology due to a similar change in the location of internal organs, but this already occurs from the movement of the fetus along the birth canal. Important! With the loss of chewing gum during gestation, they do not take radical measures, but are limited to diet, so as not to harm the unborn calf. For the treatment of pathology, you can resort to such herbal remedies as tincture of wormwood and chamomile. This product is safe for adult animals and their offspring. It improves secretory and contractile function, and also reduces bloating. To prepare the solution, you need 2 ml of herbal tincture and 0.5 l of water. Alternative medicine also offers livestock breeders to feed their wards with hydrochloride mineral water. At one time you need to drink 2 liters of such a liquid. It stimulates digestion and normalizes the work of all parts of the stomach.


These diseases are easier to prevent than then treat the animals, so experienced breeders follow the following rules:

  1. Proper animal care. A common cause of pathologies with the stomach is a violation of the rules for keeping and feeding cattle.
  2. Preparation and inspection of pastures for hard and sharp objects, poisonous plants, as well as refusal to graze cows immediately after rain or in case of heavy dew.
  3. If a tethered type of content is chosen, then the owners of the animal should take care of the active exercise of the cow, the presence of a plentiful watering hole.
  4. Regular inspection of animals by a veterinarian.

Prevention, active walking and high-quality feed in combination with regular veterinary inspection will help to avoid dangerous conditions in animals.

Video: What to do if the chewing gum of a cow is gone

Interesting Articles