Basic clinical procedures Flashcards
IM injections in cattle
Inject at a 90degree angle to skin surface
Insert needle first
Draw back
Don’t inject more than 20-30mls in a single location
Main sites of IM injections
Neck - preferred site (less valuable)
Triceps - not commonly used
Gluteals - commonly used (but valuable cut of meat)
Semimembranosus/semitendinosus - only for small volumes
Subcut injections in cattle
Anywhere where there is loose skin (neck/shoulder region)
Needle inserted at 30-45 degree angle from the surface of the skin
IV injections in cattle
Use antiseptic/alcohol
Insert needle slowly and gently
Draw back occasionally to check still in the vein
Sites for IV injections
Jugular - most commonly used
Middle caudal vein (tail) - less risk of med getting to brain if artery is hit, only for small volumes <5ml and only in larger cattle
Mammary vein -should NOT be used (risk of thrombosis or phlebitis)
Cephalic or dorsal metatarsal veins - occasionally used if jugular becomes thrombosed
IV catheterisation
Usually in jugular but can use cephalic or dorsal metatarsal veins
Use scalpel blade to punture skin
Secure with sutures/adhesive tape/superglue
Use of flutter valves
When larger volumes need to be administered e.g. 400ml calcium and magnesium salts and glucose
Turn upside down to remove air from tubing before injecting
Can use S/C or IV
Flow rate adjusted by changing height of bottle
If below height of vessel blood will flow back into tube
Blood sampling
Cattle over 300kg: middle caudal vein (tail vein)
Calves or if large volumes of blood needed: jugular vein
Methods of oral administration
Bolus (balling) guns
Drench guns
Stomach tubes
Oesophageal feeders
Nasogastric intubation
Dose syringes and drench bottles
Bolus (balling) guns
Typically magnets, mineral supplementation, and sustained release wormers
Insert into side of mouth so end is just rostral to pharynx then trigger so animal swallows bolus
Drench guns
Similar technique to bolus guns but to administer a defined volume of fluid medication
Stomach tubes
To administer medicines and fluids as well as relieving ruminal bloat and rumen fluid collection.
Use speculum or guard to stop tube being chewed.
Should be able to watch it going down the oesophagus, stop if cow coughing.
Oesophageal feeders
Used for delivery of colostrum and electrolyes to neonatal calves
Nasogastric intubation
Not commonly used in cattle
Avoids risk of iatrogenic damage to oral cavity
Dose syringes and drench bottles
For small volumes of medicines (<1L)
E.g. rumen stimulants, propylene glycol
Introduced to the oral cavity at commisure of lips, head held up and drug administered slowly
Blood/plasma transfusion
Indications: extreme anaemia, acute blood loss, FPT
Only need to crossmatch if they have had previous transfusion
Can donate 10-15ml blood per kg of BW
For anaemic cow each L of donated blood will raise PCV approx 0.75%
Take and administer blood through jugular, or if uncooperative can be administered intraperitoneally
Indications for caudal epidural anaesthesia
Relieve straining and tenesmus during dystocia
Replacing uterine and vaginal prolapses
Rectal or vaginal irritation
Anaesthesia for surgical procedures
Common site for caudal epidural anaesthesia
Between first and second coccygeal vertebrae (Co1-Co2) (first moveable joint) or the sacrococcygeal joint (S5-Co1)
Surgically prepare site
Confirmation of placement: negative pressure in epidural space will aspirate a few drops of anaesthetic agent
Dose of caudal epidural anaesthesia
1.0ml/100kg of local anaesthetic
Lower in belgian blues as they have small epidural space
Indications for disbudding/dehorning
Less stressful and risky if disbudded by 2wks of age
Dehorning during fly season (may-sept) not recommended
Restraint and anaesthesia for disbudding/dehorning
Use crush unless v young calves
Anaesthesia necessary under legislation
Blocking of corneal nerve preferred method (2-10ml) of LA
In mature animals use ring block around horn base
Sedation using xylazine useful particularly in older animals
Preparation for disbudding/dehorning
Hair clipped at horn base
Analgesia recommended before procedure e.g. meloxicam
Surgical technique for disbudding
Red-hot disbudding iron placed on horn bud
Rotate several times
End angled to burn skin around the periphery of horn bud to destroy germinal epithelium
Surgical procedure for dehorning
Angle of dehorning should produce a uniform contour of the head
Should expose the corneal artery and not excessively expose the frontal sinus
Traction or torsion should be applied to corneal artery and branches to ensure adequate haemostasis
Cauterisation using hot iron to control haemorrhage
Cosmetic dehorning
Elliptical incision made around horn and surrounding skin
Skin undermined before removing horn using sterile equipment
Skin brought together and sutured using a tension relieving pattern
Common castration techniques in calves
Rubber ring
Burdizzo
Surgical
Rubber ring castration
Only allowed in first week of life
Bloodless
No anaesthetic required
Burdizzo castration
Up to 12 weeks
Bloodless - good in summer for fly control, or in less hygienic environments
Surgical castration
Torsion: up tp 4mo
Emasculator: 3-9mo
Ligatures: over 9mo
Ensure fly control adequate or avoid summer months.
Consider tetanus prophylaxis
Restraint and anaesthesia for castration
Legal requirement for >8wks to give anaesthetic, strongly recommended for younger calves too
Sedation and LA preferred method
Small calves can be restrained in lateral recumbency and larger in standing restraint
For surgical castration inject LA into testicle and under scrotal skin or spermatic cord
For burdizzo just into the spermatic cord
Preparation for castration
Surgical castration: antibiotic therapy recommended, clean scrotum with antiseptic
NSAIDs recommended for all techniques
Method of rubber ring castration
Band placed at base of scrotum, above testicles using elastrator
Method of burdizzo castration
Spermatic cord is palpated and held laterally in the scrotal neck
Jaws of burdizzo closed across cord only leaving undamaged skin midline
Hold in place for at least 10s
Repeat distal to first crush
Repeat on other side with crush sites offset from the first testicle
Testicular tissue atrophies in 4-6 wks
Methods of surgical castration
Use scalpel to incise scrotum
Closed: for bulls <90kg
- Testicle grasped and traction applied
- Fascia bluntly separated from spermatic cord
- Spermatic vessels wrapped around finger with traction to force spontaneous rupture high in scrotal base
- Spermatic cord can be ligated with absorbable suture material
Open: for larger bulls
- Incise vaginal tunic
- Traction on testicle until spermatic vessels are isolated
- Continued traction on spermatic vessels until they rupture in ventral inguinal region
Emasculator can be used in open or closed
Post operative care for surgical castration
Topical antibiotic or antiseptic spray
Clean bedding
Monitor for haemorrhage and swelling or infection
Cryptorchidism
Uncommon in bulls
Can be retained abdominally or within inguinal ring
Preparation for crytorchidism castration
Abdominally retained testicles: incision site for surgery determined based on rectal examination to determine site of testicle
Surgical technique for cyptorchid castration
Muscle-spreading incision made in paralumbar fossa (standing) or paramedian incision (in dorsal recumbency) in the ipsilateral to retained testicle
Testicle is isolated and emasculator used to transect spermatic cord, usually within the peritoneal cavity
Close incision
Post operative care for crytorchid castration
Parenteral ABx and NSAIDs
Ectopic testicle
Usually found subcutaneously cranial to the scrotum and lateral to penis
Use surical castration
Indication for scirrhous cord removal
Scirrhous cord often associated with the retention and infection of testicular tunics after an improperly performed surgical castration
Restraint and anaesthesia for scirrhous cord removal
Standing restraint or lateral recumbency
Sedation and analgesia recommended
LA advised
Surgical technique for scirrhous cord removal
Scrotal tissue cleaned and scrubbed
Vertical incision placed in scrotum
Skin undermined and scirrhous cord isolated and bluntly dissected
Spermatic cord is ligated and then incised removing the affected tissue
Indication for bull ringing
Nose rings in bulls are useful for handling purposes
Restraint and anaesthesia for bull ringing
Restrain in a crush
Local anaesthetic block of the infra-orbital nerve or LA into site of ring placement
Procedure for bull ringing
In the fibrous septum distal to the cartilaginous septum which separate the nostrils
Care taken to avoid cartilage
A punch is used to facilitate the fitting
Ring will have a hinge and can be operned for fitting
Ring is then closed and held in place by interlocking joint and small screw - screw is tightened and head removed so surface is smooth
Post op care for bull ringing
Apply topical antibiotic cream
Ideally move ring once a day for several days
Indication for supernumerary teat removal
Surgical removal warranted as they interfere with milking anf are associated with mastitis
Ideally removed in first month of life
Restraint and anaesthesia for supernumerary teat removal
Younger animals: dorsal recumbency
Older animals: standing
Sedation or analgesia indicated
Anaesthesia needed if animal older than 3mo
LA infused into base of teat
Surgical technique for supernumerary teat removal
Isolated (caudal and intercalary) teats are removed with burdizzo and/or sharp curved scissors
Haemorrhage uncommon
Suturing required in most adult cows
Attached (ramal) teats are removed with burdizzo and/or scissors - may produce a fistula in normal teat - close using an inflammatory suture material e.g. catgut
Abscess drainage
Rule out seromas or haematomas using centesis or US
Liberal (>5cm) scalpel incision following LA infiltration, avoiding blood vessels. End at most dependent point of abscess to aid draining
Large necrotic clumps and debris can be removed manually
Flush cavity with antiseptic solution - do daily for 5-7days
Systemic Abx not necessary for most abscess cases
CSF collection
Collected from atlanto-occipital or lumbosacral space
Abdominal paracentesis
Helathy cattle have little abdo fluid so colleciton can be difficult
Most common site is intersection of a longitudinal line between the ventral midline and the right mammary vein and a transverse line midway between the umbilicus and xiphoid
Thoracocentesis and pericardioventesis
Rarely performed in cattle
Liver biopsy
Usually with ultrasound guidance
Entry site is RHS in a line between tubercoxae and elbow at 10th intercostal space at the level of the greater trochanter of femur
Sampling device is directed towards the opposite elbow to penetrate the liver
Urinary catherterisation
Possible in females, but not in males
Sterile catheter introduced to urethra over the top of the sub-urethral diverticulum
