The use of “pluronics” administered in the drinking water as a means of bloat control in cattle

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Abstract
Because of their anti-foaming properties the non-ionic surface active agents "Pluronic L61", "Pluronic L62", and "Pluronic L64" (polyoxypropylene-polyoxyethylene block polymers) have been under study for some years as a means of preventing bloat in cattle. Field experience as early as 1955 indicated that "Pluronic L62" was highly effective as a drench when mixed with water, and, provided cows were given time to become accustomed to the taste, appeared to be effective when administered via the drinking water trough at the rate of approximately 0.1 oz per cow twice a day. Field application of the more readily dispersed and milder tasting "Pluronic L64" in the water troughs at the same rate of application eliminated losses from bloat in the No, 1 Dairy herd of 80 to 90 cows at Ruakura over a period of seven years. The material was used throughout the period when bloat could occur. More recently, the use of an untreated herd as controls on the No. 1 Dairy Farm which was grazed by the treated herd has demonstrated that the pastures on this farm can be highly bloating to untreated stock. Controlled experiments over a period of nine days using 25 cows from the treated herd and 25 untreated controls on adjacent strips of red clover have shown that "Pluronic L64" administered in the drinking water can be highly effective as a means of preventing bloat. Bloat was closely related to the intake of "Pluronic" during the preceding 12 h. A level of 0.2 oz per cow in 12 h was necessary, on average, to eliminate serious bloat. The manual addition of the material to the water troughs at 0.10 oz per cow, morning and evening, had the merit that the average intake per cow was constant over any period, since periods of low water intake resulted in increased concentration of the material in the water. This would tend to offset the effects of periods of low water intake resulting from changes in the weather conditions.

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