Cattle 4 Flashcards
Applying blocks/cow slips what is important
- Clean (defat) area with alcohol
- Mix glue and use this to attach block or cowslip
- Keep foot restrained until glue dry
- Must be sure the claw is sound
- Use angle grinder to clean soles, walls
- Place shallow grooves on sole
Coxo-femoral luxation (hip dislocation) when common, what involved and diagnosis
○ Common after calving and during mating ○ Involves displacement of femoral head to a position outside the pelvic acetabulum ○ Diagnosis § Stance of animal □ Can also fracture when go done § Crepitus is usually evident § Palpation head of femur § Affected limb abducted excessively § Palpate greater trochanter □ Upwards and forwards □ Upwards and back □ Downwards and forward - rectal □ Downwards and back - rectal
Coxo-femoral luxation (hip dislocation) steps in the treatment
i. Sedate heavily Xylazine
ii. Lateral recumbency with affected limb uppermost
iii. Restrain animal with rope through inguinal region - need two pivot points
iv. Traction - block and tackle or calving jack -> calving rope/chains
v. Rotate limb while applying traction
vi. Can change direction of traction if required
vii. Feel “clunk” as head of femur moves into acetabulum, immediately release traction
Coxo-femoral luxation (hip dislocation) prognosis better if
§ Cow able to stand before reduction
§ Cow <3 years, <400Kg
§ Duration dislocation less than 12 hours - less likely for bleeding and inflammation
Stifle instability how common, clinical presentation
○ Second most common form of high limb lameness - not common?
○ Shortened stride affected leg
○ Weight bearing on toe, heel raised
○ Restricted movement stifle joint
Fractured limb treatment dependent on location and in calves
○ Below carpus, tarsus respond well to casting - need lots of nursing support
§ Provided not compound
○ High fractures - conservative treatment
○ Treatment in calves
§ Respond well to treatment
§ Robber jones bandage
Pelvic fractures where most common, treatment
○ Most common - wing of ilium, ischium or pubis
○ Debride area, get back to healthy tissue, suture on dressing
§ If part of ilium chipped off -> need to remove from wound
○ Beware of risk bony callus - dystocia
Hip dysplasia when seen, presentation and cause
○ Seen young rapidly growing, heavy beef bulls
○ Swaying gait of hind limbs, or drag hind limbs slightly
○ More severe cases - click as pushed from side to side, or crepitus
Inherited defect
Sacro-iliac luxation clinical presentation in mild and severe cases
○ Partial or complete separation joint surfaces sacrum, ilium
○ Mild cases - slight ataxia, knucking fetlock
○ Severe form - back appears dropped, sacral tuberosities very pronounced
Patellar luxation presentation and treatment
○ Patellar temporarily fixed on upper part of femoral trochlea
○ Clinically the animal progresses with jerky action, leg remains extended back until patellar frees itself
○ Treatment - medial patellar desmotomy
- Identify middle and medial patellar ligaments
§ Prepare area anterior to, and over, medial patellar ligament for surgery
§ Local anaesthesia
§ Correction - insert tenotome beneath medial patellar ligament and incise ligament completely
Degenerative arthritis most common in what and where, presentation and treatment
○ Usually affects older animals, major weight bearing joints - hip, stifle, hock
○ Usually slow onset
○ Weight loss and muscle atrophy as condition progresses
○ Hoof dragging, rolling gait
○ In advanced cases, crepitus obvious
○ MOST LIKELY CULLED
Rupture cranial cruciate ligament why more prone, diagnosis and treatment
○ Cranial ligament is shorter of the two, more prone to injury
○ Palpate and hear audible dislocation of distal femoral, proximal tibial articular surfaces
§ Sedation often aids in diagnosis
○ Not much you can do
Infectious arthritis what results from in calves and adults
○ Joint penetration or septicaemia
○ Calves - streptococcal and coliform polyarthritis frequency follow calf scour syndrome
○ Adult cattle - may follow mastitis
Paralysis what do most result in and the 4 main ones
- Downer cow when become recumbent can affect any of the nerves - sciatic, tibial, peroneal nerve
○ Especially with calving paralysis - sciatic nerve thought to be involved more
1. Radial paralysis
2. obturator paralysis
3. peroneal paralysis
4. tibial paralysis
Radial and obturator paralysis generally when occur and result
Radial paralysis
○ After recumbency - milk fever, cast for surgery
Affects ability to extend carpal, digital joints
Obturator paralysis
○ Damage where trunk of nerve passes close to medial aspect of the shaft of the ilium
Result - limb abduction affected leg pushes out to the side
Peroneal and tibial paralysis when occur and results
Peroneal paralysis
○ Nerve susceptible to damage where it runs down (subcutaneous) over the lateral femoral condyle, head of fibula
○ Knuckling of fetlock, over-extension of hock
○ In severe cases dorsal aspect fetlock joint contacts ground
Tibial paralysis
○ Hocked over-flexed
○ Fetlock slightly flexed, but bearing surface of hooves remains in contact with the ground
Prevention of digital disease what are the 2 main factors and factors within
1. Environment ○ Farm track maintenance ○ Gate ways, troughs ○ Selection of concrete for yards 2. Management ○ Don't hurry, force cows along track ○ Try to avoid turning on concrete ○ Design of laneways § Minimal abrasive qualities § Avoid sharp stones § Adequate drainage § Eliminate congestion points § Objective □ Cows walking quietly at their own speed are able to carefully place their feet so as to avoid obstacles and rough or sharp objects □ If try to hurry back of the cows will restrict area around the back, overall speed of the herd will hardly change as this is set by the dominant cow group in the herd ○ Minimise time on concrete
What are the 3 main functions of the respiratory system
- Gas exchange
- Hypoxia / Hypercarbia lead to dyspnoea, lung sounds - Thermoregulation
- Cows don’t sweat much –they increase resp rate - Acid/Base balance
- Particularly in young calves
