Dystocia Flashcards
Define dystocia and eutopia
- dystocia any birth that involves any intervention from farmer or vet
- eutopia completely natural birth
What are the stages around parturition?
- prodrome (pre-parturition)
- parturition
- puerperium (post-partum)
What may occour in puerperium?
- NEB
- mastitis
- LDA/RDA
What are the 3 stages of parturition itself?
- positioning of foetus. cervical dilation, exposure of foetal membranes and possible rupture
- foetal expulsion
- placental expulsion
Are retained placental membranes a big problem in cows?
No, rarely goes systemic
See lecture for duration of each stage in spp.
What is the first sack to exit the birth canal?
Allantochorion
When should you interfere with calving?
~2hours without progress
How common is dystocia in mares, cows, ewes, does, sows, bitches and queens?
mares: 1-2% ponies, 10% draught
cow: 3-4% diary, beef higher
ewe: 2-3%
doe: 1-2%
sow: <1% feral, high in brachycephalics
Causes of dystocia? Broad categories?
> Maternal
- expulsion (1/2 uterine inertia; defective or inadequate straining)
- birth canal (failure of relaxation; torsion; inadequate pelvic diameter)
foetal
- size (large; monster)
- disposition (abnormal presentation, position or posture)
What Qs should be asked in the history of a dystocia case?
- full term/early/overdue?
- primigravida/multigravida
- problems in pregnancy
- when did straining begin?
- water bag? foetal fluids? foetus?
- Tx so far
What equipment would you need to take to a dystocia case?
- parturition gown etc.
- halter
- head and leg snares or chains
- lubrication
- soap disinfectant cotton wool
- syringes, local anaesthetic
- ABx
- calcium (tx uterine inertia)
Which animals usually stand to give birth and which lie dowm?
Sow lies down, cows mares and ewes generally stand
- not set in stone and more effort can be put into straining if lying down
What should the vulva, vagina and cervix be checked for on PE?
- dilation, lubrication, injury - prive you didn’t do it!
What should the foetus be checked for on PE?
- PPP (presentation, posture, position)
- number and structure of foetal parts
- live or dead? beware hypoxic foetuses will have dulled reflexes, feel for heart beat, pulses or eyeball tone
- size relative to dam
How should a dead calf be removed?
Foetotomy not ceasar (will -> peritonitis)
What forms of anaesthesia may be used?
- none
- epidural
- paravertebral
- inverted L
- line block
> sedation
> GA - though these may cause cwo to lie down, difficult to do a ceasar
What does the calves legs crossing over during parturition indicate?
- pelvis too small
How can a viable birth be decided v ceasar? How is this differnet in double muscled calves?
- carpal joint 10cm outside cow with 2 people pulling = viable
- double muscled calf only 1 person pulling as back end with be larger
What position should the calf be put in once head is out?
Rotate 90 degrees for pelvis
What effect does pulling the calf have on the calf itself?
Bradycardia and acidosis
-> give breaks!
How does delivery of caudal presentation differ?
- manually dilate vulva and vagina a lot
- check umbilical cord as may -> asphyxia if squashed
- hock 10cm outside with 2 people pulling = viable
- deliver ASAP and pull DORSALLY
What is the presentation of the calf?
- relationship of longitudinal axis of foetus and dam
- longitudinal anterior (normal)
- longitudinal posterior
- transverse (both sets of legs coming out together)
What is the position of the calf?
- relationship of dorsal surface of the foetus with surface of birth canal
- dorsal
- ventral
- lateral
What is the posture of the calf?
- disposition of movable appendages of the foetus
- limb flexions
- neck flexions
- head displacements
Why may incorrect disposition occour?
- weak uterine contractions
- delayed foetal reflex development
- weak foetal movements
- competition uterine space
- oversized calf
- ankylosis of joints
What after care is required for the mother?
- check for trauma
- ABx
- oxytocin (strip udder to release OT and encourage milk let down, helps expulsion of uterus)
- NSAIDS
What after care is requiredfor the calf?
- navel dipping
- check colostrum supply
