Castration & Dehorning

Question 1

What types of blocks are used for castrations?

Answer 1

Intra testicular or intra spermatic cord 2-4mg/kg, typically for larger animals

Send home/give meloxicam

Question 2

Cornual nerve block

Answer 2

This is used for dehorning young calves and goats but should not be used for big horns. It is blocked halfway between the lateral horn base and the lateral can thus of the eye. The cornual nerve follows the temporal ridge to the base of the horn

Question 3

What type of block should you used for an adult dehorning?

Answer 3

Ring block

Question 4

Infratrochlear block

Answer 4

This block is used for goat dehorning and blocks the cornual branch of the lacrimal nerve and the cornual branch of the infratrochlear nerve. It’s halfway between the medial horn base and the medial canthus of the eye

Question 5

What age should you castrate?

Answer 5

Cattle: 1-120 days old
Sheep: at birth or soon after
Goats: 6 months if kept as pets
Pigs: 2-5 days

Question 6

Elastrator Bands

Answer 6

These can be applied up to 3 weeks of age and strangulate the spermatic cord making the scrotum and testis fall off in 1-3 weeks. Owners run into issues when a testicle is missed, or old bands are used and you should make sure they are vaccinated for tetanus

Question 7

Bloodless castration

Answer 7

These methods can be used in older cattle (>5 months) and the scrotum falls off or can be cut off in 3-5 days. Callicrate smart gander, callicrate bander PRO, Tri band, etc.

Question 8

The bloodless castrations method of burdizzo

Answer 8

Scrotum isn’t cut and remains but you crush the spermatic cords at staggered sites so that they atrophy -> vx for tetanus