Bloat - An Overview

Bloat or excessive gas production is one of the common digestive disorders that affect ruminants. This is most commonly found in high yielding cross bred animals. It is most prevalent in periparturient or transition period. Due to sudden change in feeding practices of the animals, this disease may occur leading to high mortality in animals. Emergency treatment is usually practiced by the veterinarian to cure the disease and save the life of the animals. Nutritional management is one of the important tools in preventing the disease in field condition. Bloat can be avoided by techniques like balanced feeding, controlled grazing, use of ionophore antibiotics, etc., which can benefit farmers financially.