Recognizing and Managing Bloat in Beef Cattle

Bloat is a common problem we as cattle producers deal with on our cattle operations in Greenwood County and beyond. It has the potential to impact all classes of cattle from stockers to cows.

Under normal function, gases are produced continuously by fermentation in the rumen and are regularly eructated or burped up. There are various scenarios that interfere with normal eructation and gas release in cattle. The outcome is a buildup of gases, distention of the rumen, and then ultimately a life-threatening situation. This is what we refer to as “Bloat.”