Gold chain removed from a Cow's stomach

Sirsi, Karnataka, May 22: In a rare operation, a team of Doctors have succeeded in removing a 11 gram of gold chain from the stomach of a country cow which had swallowed the chain three years back in Bidrakan-Haladota village of Siddapur taluk of Uttara Kannada district recently.

During Dipawali festival in 2004, the cow was decorated with flower garland and chain by owner Mr V N Hegde. While eating other eatable items the cow swallowed the chain. He did not worry about it thinking that the chain may come out through dung.

Mr Hegde, worried about chain remaining inside the stomach of the cow even after three years, consulted Veterinary Department Assistant Director Dr Govinda Bhat, who said that the chain could be removed by operation. But he was not willing for operation.

Meanwhile, the cow gave birth to a calf recently and was becoming weak, forcing him to agree for operation.

Dr Bhat and his colleague, Dr Gopalakrishna from Udupi, conducted operation for two hours and succeeded in removing the chain from cow's stomach.

Mr Hegde said that according to the Doctors there will be a separate compartment called as Reticulum. The food consumed by the cow will go first to prominent compartment of the stomach and afterwards it goes to Reticulum. The grass and other digestible things will enter the other compartment from Reticulum. Whatever the heavy weight metal items enters the Reticulum, they will remain there only.

UNI