Hard to digest, but true: Veterinary doctor removes 21 kg plastic from cow’s stomach

Chikkamagaluru: In a stark reminder of human apathy, 21 kg of plastic from a cow’s stomach by a veterinary doctor in Kadur taluk of Chikkamagaluru district

The cow had accumulated plastic in its rumen (first stomach of a ruminant) over a period of time. Mammals that chew the cud regurgitated from the rumen are known as Ruminants.

Dr B E Arun, Chief Veterinary Officer, Government Veterinary Hospital conducted the surgery on a cow aged between 3 and 4 years, after it began to suffer bloating, weakness and lack of nutrition as its digesting capacity went down.

In a 4-hour surgery, all the plastic was removed at the government veterinary hospital.

Explaining the issue Dr B E Arun, said, “When a cow eats plastic, it can neither regurgitate it, nor pass it on to the next chamber of the digestive system. It gets tangled lifelong. The temperature in the rumen increases and the plastic melts inside, leaving no space for other food to digest. Therefore, the blood does not get the nutrients it needs.”

During the surgery, the cow was kept in a standing position and was administered local anesthesia. The animal is fine now and will be followed up with antibiotics and painkillers for the next five days, the doctor said.

Dr Arun has treated 10-15 such cases in the past year in Kadur itself. In 2020, veterinary doctors in Kadur removed 30 kg plastic and iron pieces from the stomach of a pregnant cow, an indication of how rampant the problem is.