A. Atony of the Forestomachs

The stomachs of ruminants are closely associated anatomically and functionally and disease of one usually affects the others.

Simple Indigestion. Simple indigestion is caused by atony of the forestomachs and is characterized clinically by anorexia, lack of ruminal movement and constipation.

The disease is common in dairy cattle because of the variability in quality and the large amounts of the food consumed. The common causes are dietary abnormalities of minor degree including indigestible roughage. Cases occur under excellent feeding regimes and are usually ascribed to over-feeding with grain.

Primary atony caused by dietary abnormality is difficult to explain. Changes is the pH of its contents markedly affect the motility of the rumen and in cases caused by overeating of grain an increase in acidity is probably of importance. High protein diets including the feeding of excessively large quantities of urea, also depress motility because of the sharp increase in alkalinity which results. Atony which occurs after feeding on damaged feeds may have the same basis or due to other unidentified agents in the food.

Exercise 1. Answer the following questions to the text A in Russian:

1. What is the cause of simple indigestion?

2. Why the disease is common in dairy cattle?

3. What is the cause of primary atony?

Exercise 2. Answer the following questions to the text A in Russian and then in English:

1. Why the disease of one stomach of ruminants usually affects
the others?

2. Is simple indigestion caused by atony of the forestomachs?

3. What are the symptoms of simple indigestion?

4. Why does the disease often occur in dairy cattle?

5. Can simple indigestion be caused by overfeeding with
grain?

6. What is the explanation of primary atony?
Exercise 3. Translate the text A into Russian, determine the verb forms and their function.