Bovine surgery: intro and laparotomy Flashcards
What is the norwegian method is regard to suturing shut a laparotomy?
suturing all layers together in one go (muscles and skin) to get one layer of sutures.
- Nonabsorbable material,
- Use thick material
- Tighten properly!
- Not recommendable if really thick muscle layers (hard to tighten)
How would you close the abdominal wall after LDA operation?
How many layers and what type of suture pattern?
2 layers: muscles in one layer with continuous simple suture, skin with continuous Ford-interlocking suture
In which case is cesarean section contraindicated?
twins
emphysemic fetus
unopened uterine cervix
emphysemic fetus
would prob cause peritonitis if you tried. do fetotomy instead.
Name two main side effects associated with xylazine use in cattle?
lowered gastro-intestinal motility & respiratory depression
Name the top 5 most common surgeries performed in ruminants.
LDA
cesarean section
rumenotomy
diagnostic laparotomy
RDA
When it comes to cattle, what specific questions should you include in anamnesis? (3)
- Free stall/ tie stall?
- Beef cow/dairy cow?
(beef are less prone to needing surgical intervention but c-sections are not uncommon in them)
*lactation, parity, production
First step of cattle clinical exam. (3)
Observe from a distance!
- BCS
- dehydration
- rumination
Blood samples: most common values to assess in cattle. (8)
- Ca 8,5 – 10 mg/dl (2 – 3 mmol/l)
- K 3,9 – 6,4 mmol/l (< 3,5 mmol/l problem!)
- Na 138 – 155 mmol/l
- Cl 96 – 116 mmol/l
- AST 43 – 127 IU/L (aspartate, liver damage marker)
- CK 105 – 409 IU/L (creatine kinase, muscle enzyme)
- Creatinine 1,0 – 2,0 mg/dl (byproduct from protein breakdown)
- Fibrinogen 2 – 5 g/l
After clinical exam and blood sampling…
You come up with your care plan that you present to the owner.
Pets cows are more likely to be treated.
Production animals are more likely to be sent to slaughter.
Sunken eyeball 7mm =
12% dehydration
probably also has skin turgor >3s & CRT >4s
Hypertonic saline effect on the heart
Will cause an increase in heart rate so monitor it while administering the hypertonic fluids.
Remember to always offer water by mouth, or tube into the rumen if they won’t drink.
Adult cow rehydration options. (3)
How much fluid?
Fluids in Liters = body weight kg X dehydration %
e.g. 600 kg x 8% = 4.8 L
- 7,2 % hypertonic NaCl (4-5 ml/kg) (600 kg cow 2400 – 3000 ml i.v.) -> The cow needs to drink OR stomach tube (30l of water).
- Isotonic NaCl / Ringer minimum 15L
- Per os 30l of water + salts mixed in.
Blood sample values we want to see:
BHB
glucose
fibrinogen
Ca
K
BHB (0,7 mmol/l;1,4 mmol/l),
glucose (2 - 4 mmol/l),
fibrinogen (<5 g/l),
Ca (>8,5 mg/dl),
K (>3,8 mmol/l)
Describe Abdominocentesis
- usa an EDTA tube (small)
- Use a Teat cannula if avail.
- Normal amount of fluid 200 ml, increases in late pregnancy.
- Electrolyte concentration same as in blood.
- Leucocytes should be < 10,000 cells/µl
- Transudate: clear, transparent, low protein content < 3,0 g/l
- Exudate: cloudy, high protein content >3,0 g/l (peritonitis)
Preparation of a calf for surgery.
Ideally,
* No feed for 12h, no water for 6h
* Newborn calves -> ideally don’t restrict feeding at all, risk of hypoglycemia.
Preparation of adult cattle for surgery.
Ideally,
No feed for 18-24h, no water for 6h.
But in field settings doesn’t always happen.
Catheter can be used in jugular vein (12-14G) but isn’t so common to place them with cows, like it is in horses.
- Flush catheter with heparin solution after 4 hours, you can leave it in for three days.
Prep of the tail for surgery.
Tie to the leg closest to your surgery site so it wont flick and if it gets loose itll flick away.
Surgical wash in cattle.
x 3, then 70% alcohol then infiltration anesthesia and then another x 3 wash followed with alcohol
Cows are quite sensitive to
xylazine, but its still commonly used.
Sensitive to xylazine
* Herefords
* Sick animals
Resistant to xylazine
* Aberdeen angus
* Agitated animals
general anesthesia in cattle,
product and dose:
Xylazine dose
* 0,1-0,2mg/kg IM (3-6ml/600kg)
* 0,05-0,1mg/kg IV (1,5-3ml/600kg)
NB! in real life even when dealing with low doses, the animal can lay down suddenly…
You can also use Ketamine + xylazine
* After xylazine, ketamine 2mg/kg IV
Sometimes Butorphanol 0,1 - 0,2 mg/kg IV (but not registered to cattle)
Problems with gen. anesthesia and cattle. (5)
- Hard to get the ideal dosage since you can’t weigh cattle on a scale, you estimate.
- Salivation
- Tympany
- Risk of abortion in the last trimester of pregnancy when using xylazine.
- Cow can suddenly lay down which isn’t ideal when you have the abdomen open.
(If you have to, you can use atipamezole to reverse (use 1/3-1/2 of the xyla dose)
Local anesthesia in cattle. (4)
usually blocking T13-L2(L3)
most common: distal paravertebral block
proximal paravertebral block needs a little more skill
inverted L block
(common in beef cattle in whom you can’t feel the transverse processes cause they so thick)
infiltration anesthesia often combined with one of the above
Advantages of different Local anesthesia techniques.
distal paravertebral block
- smaller needles
- not so bleedy
- won’t cause scoliosis
proximal paravertebral block
- smaller LA dose
- wide analgetic area
- no LA near incision site
inverted L block
- easy
- no LA at incision site
infiltration anesthesia
- easy
Disadvantages of different Local anesthesia techniques.
distal paravertebral block
- larger doses of LA than proximal block
- not always reliable due to anatomic variation
proximal paravertebral block
- increased skill needed
- scoliosis can make closure hard
- poss. ataxia
- hemorrhage risk
inverted L block
- incomplete analgesia/ less efficient
- large LA doses (cost)
infiltration anesthesia
- LA at incision site
- incomplete analgesia (cost)
- less efficient
