“HARDWARE” DISEASE

Press, Volume C, Issue 29602, 26 August 1961, Page 5

“HARDWARE” DISEASE

Magnets Used In Cows

The use of magnets in the second compartment of the stomachs of cows to hold metal objects such as nails, pieces of wire, and screws which cattle may accidentally swallow was now a recognised procedure for dealing with a complaint of cattle often referred to as “hardware” disease, said Dr. J. W. McLean, head of the veterinary department at Canterbury Agricultural College, yesterday. Dr. McLean had been asked to comment on a report that cow magnets now being produced in large numbers in Quebec were being sold to Canadian dairy farmers.

The magnet was given to the cow in the form of a fairly large oblong sort of ball about two inches long and three-quarters of an inch wide, he said, and could weigh about three ounces. Because of its weight, it stayed in the second compartment of the stomach, and here its purpose was to hold metal objects that the animal might swallow in such a position that there was a considerable reduction in the chance of these perforating the stomach wall or penetrating the diaphragm and damaging the heart sac and heart, producing what was commonly known as inflammation of the heart sac. In Canada and other overseas countries where cattle were stall fed for the winter months it was more common for them to swallow metal objects than in New Zealand, Dr. McLean said. ‘ This happened more frequently where cattle were fed continuously on prepared feeds. He said that he had not heard of magnets being used in New Zealand.