Hardware disease is a common term for bovine traumatic gastritis and traumatic reticulitis. It is usually caused by ingestion of tramp iron in fodder or silage. Sharp metallic objects pass through the reticulum and settle in the rumen, and can irritate or even perforate its lining.

Cows with hardware disease exhibit lethargy, have poor appetite, and have reduced milk production and weight gain. In rare cases, an object may pass through the reticular lining and pierce the heart sac.

Treatment involves elevation and antibiotics. For valuable animals, surgery may be indicated to remove the objects.

Hardware disease can be reduced by use of cow magnets to collect ingested objects and prevent their migration through the reticulum. After the cow is slaughtered, the magnet is removed and the farmer sells the metal as scrap.

References

• Hardware Disease of Cattle, Bonnard L. Moseley, University of Missouri