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On 18 April 2016, the Facebook page Best Videos You Will Ever See posted a video purportedly showing a cow with a hole in its side, along with the claim that what the video depicted was a new form of abuse by the dairy industry: Although the video was real, the Best Videos You Will Ever See page's claim was not. The video shows a cow with a surgical fistula, not a hole punched in the bovine to help farmers observe which pasture helps cows produce more milk. The hole in the cow's side was the result of a surgery called a rumen fistula, a procedure that provides researchers with a window to see into the cow's digestive system and to allow the transfer of microbes between healthy and sick cows. The surgery is frequently performed at veterinary schools and is typically viewed as a benefit both for the cows and for researchers: According to an article in Modern Farmer, the surgery is relatively straightforward and does not effect the longevity of the animal: Although fistulated cows may prove to be a startling sight at first glance to those unfamiliar with them, they are the part of a practice that is neither a new nor controversial. Cannulated cows have been used in veterinary research for decades, and most researchers contend that the animals do not suffer ill effects from the procedure. A 2009 video showing Portia, a cow at Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary, provides more information about cannulated cows: The surgery is used to observe bovine digestive systems, and although it may result in healthier animals and (by extension) potentially higher profits, it is inaccurate to claim that the latter is the sole or primary factor behind the practice.
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