Cattle Flashcards
A client with a 110-cow dairy herd has had five lactating cows of mixed ages with diarrhoea over the past seven days.
a) List the differential diagnoses for diarrhoea in adult cattle. (10 marks)
b) Describe how you would investigate this problem and arrive at a diagnosis. (15 marks)
c) What advice would you give until a diagnosis is reached? (5 marks)
- salmonella (typhimurium, dublin)
- rotavirus
- coronavirus
- e coli
- cryptosporidium
- campylobacter
- ruminal acidosis
- diet change
- johnes
- braken toxicity
- lead posioning
- cooperia, ostertagia, other parasites
- history- length of time, cows affected, recent diet changes,
- Clinical examination- BCS, rumen sounds, pyrexia?
- faecal cultures, ELISAs, FEC,
- rumen sampling, pH,
- faecal scoring
-treat as salmonella until proven otherwise- so antibiosis, quarantine, consider reporting, hygiene methods as public health risk!
A client with a 110-cow dairy herd has had five lactating cows of mixed ages with diarrhoea over the past seven days.
a) List the differential diagnoses for diarrhoea in adult cattle. (10 marks)
b) Describe how you would investigate this problem and arrive at a diagnosis. (15 marks)
c) What advice would you give until a diagnosis is reached? (5 marks)
Differentials for diarrhoea in adult cattle:
Infectious - salmonella, bvd, coccidiosis, E. Coli, fascioloiasis, winter dysentery, MCF, babesia divergens, parasitic gastroenteritis especially in the first grazing season, rotavirus, Johne’s.
Nutritional - SARA, lush food, diet change, excessive dietary protein, poor quality roughage, potato poisoning, molybdenosis/copper deficiency.
Toxic - salt poisoning, copper poisoning, lead, nitrite, arsenic, mercury, mycotoxicosis, alimentary tract carcinoma/bracken poisoning.
Other - endotoxaemia, lda, peritonitis, anmyloidosis, fat necrosis.
Investigation: always suspect salmonella until proven otherwise.
History - age of the animals, Johne’s older than three, worming history for PGE and coccidiosis, diet history, previous problems, vaccination protocol, calving difficulties?
Clinical examination - examine all animals in the herd from afar to begin with, assess comfort levels, food access, bullying signs, water availability, cleanliness and general hygiene, ruminating.
Examine animals with diarrhoea - general clinical exam, rumination sounds, rumen fill, faecal consistency, cleanliness, demeanour, mammary development, any mastitis, plank test, dentition, any pings on percussion - check general selection of other cows to examine as well including rumen fill, bcs, general health and cleanliness, incident may be tip of the iceberg.
Faecal samples - include general faecal scoring of affected animals and counterparts in the herd, want 3/5 generally, diarrhoea lover than this, take samples of faeces from afflicted animals and maybe some not obviously affected. Send away for PCR, Elisa for salmonella, fwec for parasites, any blood etc.
Metabolic profiles for affected animals and then some normals, include betahydroxybutyrate, proportionate, nefa, electrolytes for anion gap, urea and creatinine.
Viral detection in blood for BVD, serology for Johne’s,
Rumen sampling, get a direct pH, level of organisms.
Feed analysis, is it enough?
Milk tank antibodies to any of the above diseases?
Post Mortem if any have died.
Advice - separate, give fluids if not drinking, antibiotics if systemically unwell, isolate all new cases, milk at end of the line and clean thoroughly after use, good cleaning and disinfecting, keep feeding, clean clothes and wellies after in contact, NSAIDS for pain relief, monitor for other cases.
At a routine fertility visit, you are presented with a cow which has not been seen in oestrus within 70 days after calving. Describe your procedure for examining of the reproductive tract of this cow (4 marks). List the possible causes that could be diagnosed from this examination with a brief description of your findings? (6 marks)
- brief clinical exam, BCS, udder
- vaginal exam first- clean, lubricant, clean gloves, assess wall, cervix and any discharge
- rectal examination- manually palpate uterus, horns, cervix, ovaries looking for tone, abnormalities, size and activity
- scan using rectal U/S
- cystic ovaries
- folicular/luteal- either large cyst (>25mm and thin wall or
You are called out to a farm which has a problem of acute respiratory disease in 3 month old housed calves. Describe the approach you would take to investigate this problem. (10 marks)
- history- vaccines used? previous diagnoses? length of time? age of calves affected? mixed age groups?
- check housing
- draughts, wet bedding, overcrowding
- wisconsin scoring system, or similar
- examine at least a mixed sample of the calves doing full clinical examinations. TPR, thoracic auscultation, possibly thoracic u/s (used in experimental protocols), in america look for ear droop.
- can take swabs for culture or TW/BAL for virus isolation and bacterial culture to specify future vaccination and antibiosis use.
You decide to carry out an urethrostomy in a six-month-old steer with suspected urolithiasis near the sigmoid flexure. Write short notes on your surgical approach, including preparation, anaesthesia, and aftercare. (10 marks)
- Clip and clean the perineal area using chlorhexidine or povidine iodine followed by spirit or chloroprep.
- Restain steer, consider sedation. Can be done concious under a caudal epidural (clip and scrub over L6/s1, where tail most movement, place spinal needle on midline aiming 45 degrees cranially check in using hanging drop or loss of resistance technique.)
- or under GA (increased risk and difficulty)
- cut down perineal midline usig scalpel through skin and musculature to find urethra. Ligate ureathra using encircling ligature cut above ligature. Create spatulate opening of urethra and suture to skin while closing to create new opening.
- ensure cleanliness post surgery, provide antibiosis and pain relief. monitor for obstruction and wound infection/breakdown.
What treatment options are there for a 2-month old calf with a midshaft tibial fracture (5 marks)? For one of your treatment suggestions, state the advantages and disadvantages compared to other options (5 marks).
- euthanasia (if open or lack of nursing care available, cost!)
- conservative place in small area (especially of partial/stress/non displaced)
- external coaptation
- robert jones bandage with or without splint
- fibroglass cast
- internal fixation using plates/pins etc (depends on size, facilities and willingness to spend money)
- casting limb is relatively cheap, has a good prognosis assuming the fracture is well reduced. Higher risk of rub wounds than bandaging but more support and needs changing less often. Shouldn’t slip.
- Describe the method for open surgical castration in an 10-week-old dairy bull calf - do not include restraint or the anaesthetic technique (8 marks). List two of the more commonly occurring postoperative complications (2 marks).
- can use either burdizzos or twist and pull
- incise bluntly across the base of the scrotum, or can just chop the end off using 10 blade scalpel.
- exteriorise testicle
- incise through the tunica albuginea and expose testes, push tunic up
- either clamp using burdizzo nut to nut around the vessels and vas deferens, keep on for minimum 1 minute
- or grasp testicle firmly and twist in one direction while maintaining a ventral traction until it comes off in your hand.
- repeat on the other testicle
- spray incision with antibiotic spray liberally
- Haemorrhage
- infection
- evisceration
Describe five methods of pregnancy diagnosis in cattle (5 marks) and apart from cost, give one advantage and one disadvantage of each method (5 marks).
- manual rectal palpation
- immediate diagnosis, relys on accuracy of vet but can reach 95%, usually from 35 days minimum, later is more accurate but can delay treatment of non pregnants - u/s rectal scan
- can be done earlier than manual (28d) but will experience early embryonic loss, rapid treatment but relys on operator experience
- non return to oestrus
- very unreliable, 7 of pregnant cows will show signs and even if oestrus detection good (and its usually poor), not all cattle not showing signs will be pregnant. Can delay correct identification of cattle needing treatment for anoestrus and early failure of pregnancy.
- milk progesterone
- secreted by functional CL, must be done 24 days after service to ensure not just normal, non pregnant CL, doesnt require a vet, cow side tests availiable. Lots of false positives
- early conception factor/bovine pregnancy hormone
- can be taken as soon as 48 hours post conception, lots of early embryolic mortality, so still unreliable. Requires a blood sample so most invasive.
Describe briefly how you would diagnose, (4 marks) treat (3 marks) and manage (3 marks) a case of per-acute coliform mastitis in a dairy cow.
History
Clinical examination
CMT
Fluids if required (oral electrolytes or IV if needed)
IV antibiosis, consider fluroquinolones for effectoveness against e coli
NSAIDs- flunixin/metacam for endotoxaemic affects
regular stripping of the teat, including oxytocin ?welfare
Needs nursing care while recumbent, turning, food, propylene glycol, check electrolytes. Environmental so disinfect, clean area, check milking procedures
How can you measure the effectiveness of passive transfer of maternal immunity to calves? What actions would you take if you discovered that failure of passive transfer had occurred? (10)
TP
Zn Turbidity test
Cow side ELISA
consider plasma transfusion, hyperimmune antisera, consider preventative measures, if early can tube colostrum
Describe briefly how you would diagnose, (4 marks) treat (3 marks) and manage (3 marks) a case of per-acute coliform mastitis in a dairy cow.
Diagnose - history, has it just called recently; clinical exam, systemic parameters, endotoxic shock, sick and dull and recumbency, udder shows swelling, heat, and pain, milk often looks watery and discoloured though often not with clots. Grade the milk and udder changes, grade one is secretion change only, grade two is secretion and udder change, grade three includes systemic health. Unlikely to be needed but can do a CMT, electrical conductivity, bactoscan, scc.
Treatment - good nursing, quarter stripping, NSAIDS, fluid therapy, antibiotics for both gram positive and negative, excenel, cefquinome good choice.
Management - good cleanliness at calving, make sure cow is systemically well, early call out to a vet as early treatment better, clean environment, disinfect in between calvings, set up a mastitis control plan either 5 or 10 point, have treatment protocol in place. Individual cow, good nursing, clean isolation area, strip quarter regularly, offer food and water, monitor closely.
- Describe the method for open surgical castration in an 10-week-old dairy bull calf - do not include restraint or the anaesthetic technique (8 marks). List two of the more commonly occurring postoperative complications (2 marks).
- can use either burdizzos or twist and pull
- incise bluntly across the
- Haemorrhage
- infection
- evisceration
At a routine fertility visit, you are presented with a cow which has not been seen in oestrus within 70 days after calving. Describe your procedure for examining of the reproductive tract of this cow (4 marks). List the possible causes that could be diagnosed from this examination with a brief description of your findings? (6 marks)
- brief clinical exam, BCS, udder
- vaginal exam first- clean, lubricant, clean gloves, assess wall, cervix and any discharge
- rectal examination- palpate uterus, horns, cervix, ovaries looking for tone, abnormalities, size and activity
List four (4) causes of lameness or abnormal gait in cattle that are NOT related to a problem in the foot (4 marks). For each cause listed, state two distinctive presenting signs that would make you consider that condition (6 marks).
Dislocation of the hip
- upwards displacement of the femoral head
- muscular atrophy of gluteals esp one sided
Fractured femur/pelvis
- crepitus on palpation/auscultation
- pain swelling bruising and instability
Joint infection possible osteomyelitis
- penetrating wound into joint, possible foreign material
- swelling of joint, cellulitis, heat
Nerve paralysis, esp peroneal
- spastic paralysis of one limb
- muscular atrophy
At a routine fertility visit, you are presented with a cow which has not been seen in oestrus within 70 days after calving. Describe your procedure for examining of the reproductive tract of this cow (4 marks). List the possible causes that could be diagnosed from this examination with a brief description of your findings? (6 marks)
History of animal and calving and post calving period.
Appraisal, unlikely to do a full clinical exam for a routine check but can assess BCS, rumen fill, demeanour, full exam if worried.
Reproductive exam, first do a vaginal, assess for endometriosis or damage to vagina, then rectal, manually palpate uterus and ovaries or use a rectal ultrasound machine and observe the ovaries and uterus.
Causes: endometritis, can grade 1-3 depending on amount of pus in the mucus.
Bulling string, currently in oestrus, follicle present on ultrasound, bulling string from vagina.
Cystic ovary - luteal cyst with a thick wall and less an 25mm, follicular cyst has no wall and is greater than 25mm.
Post oestrus bleed - missed the ovulation.
You are called out to a farm which has a problem of acute respiratory disease in 3 month old housed calves. Describe the approach you would take to investigate this problem. (10 marks)
Approach: combination of stress factors and pathogen load.
History - where does he source his calves from, has he had any new additions, does he produce them himself and if he did did he ensure they all got enough colostrum. What has the weather been like, has he done any castration or dehorning on them recently? How often does he observe them? Does he change the groups often?
Clinical exam - look at them and the environment from afar, is there joint air space with older animals, is the building the well ventilated, are there draughts at calf level, is it very dusty, what is the cleanliness like, does it have good drainage, is it overstocked or under stocked?
Individual calves, use the Winsconsin pneumonia score for the calves, assess temperature of calves, nasal discharge, ear position or eye discharge, cough present? For the group, move them around and observe for any coughing induced by the exercise.
After scoring you can have an idea if there is a pneumonia problem, treat any that have a significant score and investigate further if implicated.
To isolate a pneumonia pathogen, either nasal swabs, tracheal wash or BAL, better a fresh post mortem. Can also do a specific antibody for a rising titre to PI3, IBR or others 2-3 weeks apart.
Need to exclude other causes than enzootic pneumonia, such as dictyocaulus viviparus, calf diphtheria, vit e or se deficiency, salmonella, inhaled pneumonia, CHF, histophilus somnus.
You decide to carry out an urethrostomy in a six-month-old steer with suspected urolithiasis near the sigmoid flexure. Write short notes on your surgical approach, including preparation, anaesthesia, and aftercare. (10 marks)
Preparation - sedation with xylazine as it is licensed and produces good sedative effects in farm animals. Would then do a caudal epidural with lidocaine, not specifically licensed so may have to use procaine with adrenalin. The adrenaline has been suggested to cause problems but anecdotally people use it with no problems. Want the animal to be standing.
Clip and then use a razor to remove the hair from the perineal area. Scrub first with chlorhexidine, remove all gross signs of dirt and then the final scrub with ethanol.
10cm incision into the midline of the perineal area, bluntly dissect to expose the body of the penis, then dissect the penis at the ventral point of the skin incision. Secure the penile stump to the skin. Can open the urethra longitudinally and secure the urethral flaps to the skin. Suture the skin above and below to close.
Post surgery, ensure a high water intake, good fly control and protect the skin with Vaseline. Should not need antibiotics if done aseptic ally, however likely to get an infection if no antibiotics given on the farm, give TMPS or penicillin as first line prophylaxis. Give NSAIDS for three days for pain relief and analgesia. Monitor for signs of obstruction.
What treatment options are there for a 2-month old calf with a midshaft tibial fracture (5 marks)? For one of your treatment suggestions, state the advantages and disadvantages compared to other options (5 marks).
Euthanasia, welfare is paramount and if the farmer does not with to do anything euthanasia is a valid option.
External fixation with a cast or Robert jones bandage and external manipulation to get as straight a leg as possible.
Intra medullary pinning is a valid option followed by a good cast.
Plate and clamp rod internal fixation is the most likely to cause full healing.
Advantages of plate and clamp rod - greatest chance of successful healing and return to intended use with this method.
Disadvantages - osteomyelitis, implant loosening, sepsis, expense, need to remove after six months so growth is not impaired.
- Describe the method for open surgical castration in an 10-week-old dairy bull calf - do not include restraint or the anaesthetic technique (8 marks). List two of the more commonly occurring postoperative complications (2 marks).
Clean and prepare the scrotum with iodine or chlorhexidine. After time has been given for the local anaesthetic to work and you have washed your hands, push the testicle up towards the abdomen and cut off in one horizontal bold stroke with the scalpel blade the bottom of the scrotal sac, should be large enough that the testicles can be got through the resulting hole. A vertical incision is made over the first testicle, through the tunica vaginalis, the tissue is bluntly dissected away manually to expose the testicle and e gubernaculum is pulled away. The testicle is then pulled and twisted with constant traction until it comes loose and separates from the body. Or you can separate the vas deferens and vessels, crush and ligate both of them. Repeat for the other testicle. Check for haemorrhage and retrieve and ligate the stump if necessary.
Post op complications include haemorrhage and infection.
Describe five methods of pregnancy diagnosis in cattle (5 marks) and apart from cost, give one advantage and one disadvantage of each method (5 marks).
Manual palpation - quick and effective with experienced people, disadvantages include having to wait longer for a diagnosis, upto day 32.
Rectal ultrasound - can do it earlier at 28 days and do not have to manipulate the embryo. Disadvantage it requires more experience and skill to do and interpret the findings.
Progesterone assay - milk or plasma - easy to do, high number of false positives.
Early pregnancy associated protein - very early indicator of a conceptus, however early embryonic mortality can occur.
Non return to oestrus - low intensive system and less effort needed, however very unreliable and takes longer to detect rather than other means.
How can you measure the effectiveness of passive transfer of maternal immunity to calves? What actions would you take if you discovered that failure of passive transfer had occurred? (10)
TP, Zn Turbidity, RID, cow side ELISA
Clinical signs
Depends on time- if still open bottle feed colosrtrum! Give a plasma transfusion for the affected animals if worth it. If not extra care parenteral antibiotics? Very good hygiene. Monitor colostral giving techniques. Improve with new calves- 2l in 2 hours, 6l in 12, give if any doubt.
Briefly outline how the Prescribing Cascade should be implemented when providing analgesia for a goat given the absence of any products licensed for this purpose in this species (6 marks). What principles would you consider when determining the perioperative regimen for analgesia in a goat undergoing a surgical procedure (4 marks)?
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How can you measure the effectiveness of passive transfer of maternal immunity to calves? What actions would you take if you discovered that failure of passive transfer had occurred? (10)
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List the differential diagnoses you would consider for a 24-hour-old calf that is recumbent (7 marks). For one of your differentials, state the clinical signs you would expect to see (3 marks).
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A heifer suckler cow, 5 months pregnant is found dead. The heifer was one of 80 cows at pasture and none of the others is showing any clinical signs. Outline your approach to this case. Your answer should include common differential diagnoses and how these could be identified (10 marks).
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A number of calves in a group of 80 recently weaned housed calves have developed pneumonia. Explain why you may consider using antibiotics in your treatment regimen (2 marks). List 3 antibiotics which would be suitable for this situation (3 marks), and explain the factors which influence your choice of antibiotic (5 marks).
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What are the indications for amputation of a bovine digit (2 marks)? Describe briefly the method of local anaesthesia (2 marks) and surgery (4 marks) that you would use to carry out amputation of a hind-limb lateral digit of a Friesian Holstein dairy cow. What would you advise the farmer about the management and future use of this animal (2 marks)?
Septic arthritis of distal joint, necrosis of insertion of deep flexor tendon to distal phalanx, Abscessation and necrosis of the digital cushion, osteitis and osteolysis of the pedal bone, pedal bone open fractures.
Intravenous regional analgesia - restrain the animal clip and disinfect over prominent superficial vein distal to tourniquet application, lateral digital vein, radial vein or median Palmer veins available on forelimb, lateral branch of lateral saphenous vein, lateral plantar vein or lateral plantar digital vein on hind limb. Not usually done but if exsanguinating the limb apply butterfly catheter first. Rubber tube tourniquet around the limb or wide flat rubber band on proximal metatarsal, proximal metacarpal region or above the hock or carpus. Needle into vein, aspirate blood to confirm it is in, inject local, usually around 20mls, lidocaine without adrenaline is better but not licensed. Withdraw needle and massage, should take five minutes for anaesthesia, ten for analgesia but work for 1-2hours if tourniquet left in place. Check for full analgesia first in deep tissues, caudal aspect of interdigital cleft, sometimes skin between digits not fully anaesthetised. Release tourniquet slowly over ten seconds, should not cause problems if ten minutes been given before release. Take around five minutes after tourniquet released for normal sensation, initial analgesic effects not uniform.
Procedure - scalpel cut starting at interdigital space and ending in the middle of the second phalanx, embryotomy wire to cut through bone, check for haemorrhage when tourniquet released, antibiotic spray, bandage, systemic antibiosis, clean dry place for two weeks, remove bandage after 96hours.
Don’t stress animal, good after care, cull when drying off, likely to have future problems.
- List the infectious causes of lesions on the teats of dairy cows (7 marks). Briefly describe how teat lesions may be involved in the epidemiology of mastitis in dairy cows (3 marks).
cow pox parapox BHV2,4 BPV 1,5,6 fusobacterium FMD VS
Teat lesions allow adherence of bacteria and weaken the barrier of the skin, may dilate teat. and remove plug.
- Compare and contrast the different methods available for correcting a left displaced abomasum in a cow. Give brief details of the technique for each method that you mention. (30 marks)
Rolling - cast the cow (rope at pressure points at level of scapula and the just in front of the pelvis), onto the right hand side first . Slowly rolled into dorsal with the abdomen being needed and following the abomasum with auscultation, hold in dorsal, then rest in left lateral recumbency, hold down for few minutes than let up.
Percutaneous technique - grymer-sterner toggle technique, pass a large curved needle through the body wall into the abomasum. Cast cow into right lateral, clip xiphisternum and umbilicus to right of midline, surgical disinfectant, local anaesthetic into cranial xiphisternum and caudal to xiphisternum. Roll into dorsal, knead left flank, auscultation of ping and have assistant kneel in front of the udder to exert pressure on the abdomen to keep abomasum close to body wall. Trochar through body wall and into abomasum, don’t let too much gas escape, toggle suture through trocar with help of push rod, confirm location as pH less than 4, repeat at cranial site, tie the two suture ends with a hand gap in between knot and body wall, roll into left lateral, hold in that position for five to ten mins, abts.
Paramedian laparotomy with ventral abomopexy or omentopexy under local - right lateral recumbency on soft surface, roll into dorsal, clip, sterilise to right of midline between umbilicus and xiphisternum, longitudinal incision through body wall large enough for hand, identify abomasum, pull to incision, suture abdominal wall to body wall just inside incision or incorporate the omentum close to abomasum.
Left flank laparotomy with abomasopexy or omentopexy under paravertebral or local infiltration anaesthesia. Clip ventral right area as per usual, clip left flank between 12th rib and tuber coxae, routine incision close to last rib, visualise abomasum, grab fold of greater omentum and pull into incision, two metre long absorbable suture into abomasum or omentum in a continuous mattress suture pattern, 4-5 bites. Pass down inner abdominal wall, and bring out at location of bottom sterilised area, repeat for cranial suture. Push abomasum down to midline whilst rotating it anticlockwise, assistant takes up slack in suture, position by yourself and once ok assistant ties it off like above. Close flank in routine manner.
Right flank laparotomy with right omentopexy or pyloropexy. Right flank incision, reposition abomasum into correct position, may need deflation with 19G needle and attached tubing, dorsal pressure and pull ventrally on greater omentum, attach pylorus to body wall just cranial to flank incision, or incorporate a fold of the omentum close to pylorus into first layer of flank closure. Identify right area with sows ear/omental flap. Close incision.
Bilateral laparotomy with right sided omentopexy or pyloropexy. Like above but one side to push it across.
Laparoscopy - minimally invasive, visual control, two toggle sutures into the abomasum through two keyhole incision into the left flank, retrieve sutures with cow now in dorsal recumbency through two ventral incisions.
Aftercare - antibiosis, analgesia, erythromycin (increased abomasum emptying and milk yield following surgery) and flunixin (rumen rate strongly increased at day one post surgery) dexamethasone (some support but then no NSAIDS). Oral propylene glycol and palatable food, insulin has shown evidence every 48 hours for refractory ketosis, may be hypocalcaemic, IV sodium chloride in dehydrated animals with hypochloraemia and hypokalemia and metabolic alkalosis present. Concentrates reduced to 0.5-1kg bid and gradually increased to normal amount in seven days, transfaunation in refractory cases and ruminal stasis. Treat any concurrent disease.
Comparison of techniques - position, dorsal recumbency get regurg, more stressful, bad in pregnant and endotoxic. Easiest to see abomasum if go in the left, see ulcers and adhesions as well, decompression best in open left flank, good anchorage in most, best on right, high risk of contamination on paramedian and severe consequences if breakdown, can view other organs on right and bilateral, need two surgeons for bilateral, non vet assistants for casting, can’t do anything for adhesions on toggle, time and cost other factors.
Risk factors for LDA - abomasal wall pathology,
fibre need 2-5cm,
over feeding in early dry period (increased fat mobilisation in periparturient period, limit concentrate levels to 0.5-0.75 BW but important as increases ruminal papillae area and increases ability to absorb VFA, want forage:concs 60:40 ideally),
negative energy balance prepartum (increased serum NEFA),
high BCS - want between 2.75-3.25, increases higher than this.
poor feed face management (trough space, not ad libertum, staleness, sorting), prepartum diet more than 1.65Mcal net energy.
Concentrates postpartum gradual introduction, important first calving heifers.
Maize and silage large amounts.
Poor housing
Hypocalcaemia likely.
Fatty liver necrosis, ketosis increases risk of lda and lda increases risk of ketosis.
Metritis, RFM, time of year, bullying, lameness.
- You decide to carry out an eye enucleation in a 2-year-old beef heifer. In note form, describe the procedure (10 marks).
Restrain, sedate
Retrobulbar block and auriculopalprebral block 4 points around the eye.
Suture eyelids shut, incise around globe through skin and dissect back to opthalmic vessel and nerve. Attempt to ligate. Pack socket.Close
- You decide to carry out an eye enucleation in a 2-year-old beef heifer. In note form, describe the procedure (10 marks).
Restrain, sedate
Retrobulbar block, block 4 points around the eye.
Suture eyelids shut, incise around globe through skin and dissect back to opthalmic vessel and nerve. Attempt to ligate. Pack socket.Close
- Describe the five steps of the Dutch method of foot trimming in a hind foot (7 marks). What additional measure would you take when dealing with a sole ulcer in the lateral hind claw? (3 marks)
Routine Foot Trimming
1) Trim toe length to 7.5cm approx.
2) Match untrimmed claw to this.
3) Dish out
Corrective Trimming
4) Relieve weight off painful claw
5) Remove loose/under-run horn and hard ridges
- Block medial claw
- ensure adequate drainage of ulcer, clean and protect using antibiotic spray/equvalent
- Briefly describe the clinical signs (4 marks), diagnosis (2 marks) and control of infection (4 marks) caused by Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis in cattle herds.
Clinical signs - abortion and infertility, irregular cycles, multiple returns to service, early embryo death, some can cause abortion at 4-7 months, mucoflucculant vaginal discharge post serving possible.
Diagnosis - infertility = rule out other causes, isolate from vaginal mucus or preputial washes/scraping from the bull, serological tests available. Abortion = isolate from fetal lung, spleen, liver and fetal stomach contents.
Control - use AI not natural, maybe for six months only to give cows time to clear infection, replace bulls with Virgin bulls exclusively, avoid bull sharing and hire bulls, routine preputial washes.
