Dehorning and Castration

Question 1

What is AVMAs definition of castration?

Answer 1

Removing the testicles surgically, damaging them irreparably or causing them to atrophy by stricture of the blood supply

Question 2

Why do we castrate?

Answer 2

Decrease fighting and injury
Taste of meat
Less quality grade carcass
Breeding not desired by client

Question 3

What age do we castrate the following:
-Cattle:
-Sheep:
-Goats:
-Pigs:

Answer 3

-Cattle: 1st day of birth to less than 120 days is best
-Sheep: at birth or sooner
-Goats: 6 months if pet
-Pigs: 2-5 days

Question 4

What are the primary methods of castration?

Answer 4

Physical - banding, cutting, bloodless
Chemical - intratesticular injection toxic agent
Hormonal - immunocastration (Anti-GNRH)

Question 5

When can you apply elastrator bands and what’s the procedure?

Answer 5

Birth to 3 weeks
-Pull both testicles through, prongs up, apply the band and milk off, then count and make sure 2 are still there
-Scrotum should fall off in 1-3 weeks

Question 6

What are some possible complications with elastrator bands?

Answer 6

Miss one
Need to vaccinate for tetanus
Heat can dry rot the bands
NO teats!

Question 7

What are some bloodless castration options for older calves that are >5 months?

Answer 7

Callicrate smart bander and pro, tri-band, EZE bander, XL bander
-Scrotum fall off or cut off in 3-4 days
-Vaccinate for tetanus

Question 8

What is the smallest size cow that can be castrated with a calicrate bander?

Answer 8

200lbs

Question 9

How do Burdizzos work?

Answer 9

Scrotum is smushed and testicular circulation is disrupted and it atrophies over time -clamp at different levels, lots of swelling, tetanus vaccine needed

Question 10

What are the steps to surgical castration?

Answer 10

1. Meloxicam 1mg/kg or banamine for pain
2. Local block (intratesticular or spermatic cord) - lidocaine 2-4mg/kg or 5-10ml per side for a 500lb calf
3. Use hemostats to grab the bottom of the scrotum
4. Use Newberry knife to split scrotum longitudinally (flaps) or scalpel blade (need good tail jack either way) - make sure open 1/3 if can
5. Grab testicle and pull down, grab scrotum and strip up - free up spermatic cord, constant tension pulling down until cord breaks or can use Henderson or emasculator in bigger calves
6. Clean up cord and apply fly spray

Question 11

What is unique about the Newberry knife?

Answer 11

Harder to cut yourself

Question 12

What is important to remember about older small ruminant castrations?

Answer 12

Full sedation needed
Pain meds and antibiotics
CDT
May ligate with miller knot or transfix

Question 13

What so you do if blood is pouring out of the scrotum?

Answer 13

You broke at the pampiniform plexus or yanked too hard
-Wait 10 minutes apply pressure and pack with gauze (may need to find vessel and tie it off
-Only leave packed for hour or two

Question 14

How do you perform a castration of young swint (few days)?

Answer 14

Restrain between legs, upside down
-Squeeze testicle into scrotum, use 12 blade to cut over testicles, pull straight out

Question 15

If you pull testicles down in a baby pig what happens?

Answer 15

Stretches the inguinal ring and allows herniation

Question 16

How far ahead of castration would you need to give meloxicam to baby pigs for it to help?

Answer 16

3 hours or in mom into milk

Question 17

What drugs do you use for large pig castrations?

Answer 17

TKX - Telazol, ketamine and xylazine (1cc/50lb)
(Midazolam, dex or butrophanol for pets)

Question 18

How do you castrate a larger pig?

Answer 18

Anesthesia
Place lateral or dorsal recumbency
Prep the scrotum, cut over the testicles, remove bottom one 1st, break down ligament of testis, emasculate or ligate

Question 19

What should you look for post castration?

Answer 19

-Swelling (can occur with surgical, shouldn’t with banding)
-Monitor sign lethargy, lameness or fly strike
-normal in a week

Question 20

What is the definition of disbudding?

Answer 20

Removal or destruction of horn producing corium in young animals
-can be done in 1st 24 hours

Question 20

What is dehorning?

Answer 20

Painful procedure with longer healing time, horn removed after horn-producing corium has attached to the skull

Question 21

What kind of anesthesia is used for dehorning?

Answer 21

Restrain
Sedate - 1ml xylasine per 100ml lidocaine
-Cornual nerve block (Trigenimal branch, zygomaticotemperal nerve)
-2-3ml lidocaine under zygomatic ridge

Question 22

Which method of dehorning should be used for the following:
-Young animals:
-Mechanical method
-Very Large Animal
-Any

Answer 22

Disbudding
Barns Dehorners
Gigli wire or keystone dehorner
Surgical or cosmetic

Question 23

What are some keys to remember about the hot iron?

Answer 23

Small buds, and test to make sure hot enough, dont hold on longer than 5 seconds in small ruminants, fine in large

Question 24

What should you consider when using the barns dehorners?

Answer 24

Need to get bud but try to avoid going into the sinuses
-Push away from you hard and fast

Question 25

What kind of incision should be performed for a cosmetic dehorning?

Answer 25

Elliptical incision around the horn, sharp dissection , gigly wire or dehorners to remove horn and pull visible arteries and close incision

Question 26

What should you monitor for post-dehorning?

Answer 26

Fly control
Monitor hemorrhage
Open sinus - cover
*No eating from hay rack or round bale
-Check for drainage, head shaking, head tilt, nasal discharge, lethargy

Question 26

Should you dehorn adult goats?

Answer 26

No, high risk of sinusitis