Evaluation of Methods for Introducing Materials Directly into the Abomasum of Yearling Cattle

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Abstract
Procedures for introducing a nonab- sorbed marker directly into the abomasum were evaluated with 10- to 22-month-old cattle. Excretions of 141Ce surgically placed into the abomasum and 141Ce placed by gelatin capsule into the rumen of the same animals were compared in eight ani- mal trials. Cerium-144, which began its passage from the abomasum, was almost en- tirely voided within 30 hr, whereas some 141Ce excretion still occurred after 100 hr. Times required for 5, 50, and 90% excre- tions averaged 15, 18, and 23 hr for abomasal 144Ce doses and 26, 43, and 90 hr for rumen 141Ce doses. Comparison of excretion patterns in other experiments with those described above showed whether a dose entered the abomasum or the rumen. Swabbing the animal's throat with dilute copper sulfate before dosing by syringe diverted very little of the dose to the abomasum. When radiocerium in milk or water at 37 or 18 C was suckled from nip- ple pails, it entered the abomasum. Gelatin capsules also entered the abomasum when administered immediately after suckling and followed by additional suckling. Several investigations of ruminant metabo- lism have been conducted in which materials were placed directly into the abomasum. Place- ment in the abomasum has been accomplished by swabbing the animal's throat with dilute copper sulfate (4), by surgically placing the material in the abomasum (2), by introducing it by way o~ a stomach tube passed through a tureen fistula into the omaso-abomasal area