Any type of cattle, whether beef or dairy are called ruminants. Unlike what you’ve heard, ruminants do not have four stomachs, rather four different compartments which make up the whole entity known as the "ruminating stomach." These four compartments comprise of the omasum, abomasum, reticulum, and rumen. The rumen, being the largest of the four, is the major site for digestion and absorption, and because of this, it is the location is the primary site for the ruminal cannula to be placed. Why are these cows called "fistulated" cows, instead of cannulated cows you ask? Let’s discuss the difference between the two words, fistula and cannula:

1. Fistula: a surgical opening made into a cavity or hollow organ of a human or

1. Cannula: an apparatus which fits into the fistula which acts as a boundary

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