Bloateze takes the wind out of bloat

1 Sep 2024

Frothy bloat is a fast build-up of digestive gas in the rumen. It is causes when gas made by digestion is trapped as a foam in the rumen and can’t be belched. 

Pasture containing a burst of young grass and clover are the highest risk. 

Clover has high levels of foaming agents, which help the rumen gas to form many small gas bubbles. This makes it hard for the cow to belch so the gas just continues to build up in the rumen. The build-up of gas puts pressure on the lungs which makes breathing harder for the cow and eventually causes death. 

The time frame for this is typically between 30 minutes and two hours. 

Our Solutions 

FIL can help farmers with cost-effective bloat control and treatment this spring, with a choice of Bloateze or Bloateze DFA. 

Bloateze is a high-strength alcohol ethoxylate bloat remedy, used for the prevention and treatment of frothy bloat in cattle. It is suitable for drenching, trough treatment, and pasture spraying. Bloateze is strong long-acting product with a low dose rate. 

Bloateze DFA is specifically formulated to deliver through alkathene piping and is compatible for use in Dosatron systems. There is no risk of damaging pipes or components. Bloateze DFA provides an effective means to combine drench treatment with trace elements on properties where drenching is not practiced or is not an option. 

Bloateze and Bloateze DFA are available in 20L, 100L and 200L containers. 

Trough treatment  

• Trough treatment should be started at least 3 weeks before the likelihood of a bloat challenge 
• Animals should not have access to untreated water sources 
• Bloat oil is toxic to calves with undeveloped rumens, keep them away from bloat treated water. 
• When preparing bloat treatments always be cautious with additives, particularly copper. It can cause the bloat oil to bypass the cow’s rumen, rendering it ineffective. 
• Use Bloateze DFA for inline trough treatment. 

Pasture Spraying 

• Ensure to mix enough bloat oil in 10L of water to provide 3-6mL of Bloateze for each animal. 
• Add enough water to be able to spray a 12-hour break. 
• It’s essential to evenly cover the whole break. 
• It may be necessary to respray in the case of heavy rain.

Drenching 

• Always use good quality water when preparing the solution. 
• Dilute bloat oil with plenty of water. 
• Mix the solution thoroughly to ensure it is completely dissolved before the treatment is applied. 

Crisis Drenching 

• To relieve a severely bloated cow, do not use undiluted bloat oil. Add 20 mL of Bloateze to 1 litre of warm water and mix. This is critical to help disperse the anti-foaming agent in the rumen. Slowly dose this mix with a drench gun or long neck bottle. Relief will start within a few minutes. 
• Call your vet if you suspect your cow is experiencing bloat even for mild cases. 

For all methods of bloateze uptake, start the treatment before the risk becomes severe, using a low dose rate to accustom the stock to treatment. Rapidly increase the dose until control is achieved. 

When bloat ceases, back off the dose cautiously, don’t just stop. 

For more information around directions of use and ideal dilution rates get in touch with your local FIL Area Manager.