RISK FACTORS RELATED TO TE OCCURRENCE OF FOAMY BLOAT IN BOVINE REARED IN SOUTHERN-CENTRAL SEMI-ARID REGION OF PERNAMBUCO STATE, BRAZIL

Abstract

With the aim of analyzing the effects of risk factors such as feed, raising system, season, lactation period, gender and animal age on the occurrence of foamy bloat in bovines, a retrospective study was carried out on 60 clinical cases of the illness in bovines treated at the Bovine Clinic of the Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Garanhuns Campus (Brazil), between January 1989 to December 2007. Epidemiologically, data on risk factors obtained from medical charts were related to the occurrence of foamy bloat. Among the 60 animals affected, 54 (90%) received diets with a high content of concentrates; palm was one of the ingredients in the diet of 41 animals. The raising system was semi-intensive to intensive for 48 (80%) animals. The majority of animals affected were females (57/60), 44 (84.08%) of which were in the lactation phase. A greater occurrence of cases of foamy bloat (62%) was recorded in summer. The ruminal fluid in these animals had a pH value that oscillated between 7 and 8, was of a foamy consistency and had a negative effect on the microbiota. The interrelation of risk factors such as diet rich in concentrate, intensive to semi-intensive production system, summer (dry season), the first and second lactation period, associated to the interaction of factors inherent to the individual animal and ruminal microbiota are important to the etiopathology of foamy bloat in the southern-central semi-arid region of the State of Pernambuco, Brazil.

KEYWORDS: digestive disorder; epidemiology; ruminants.