Exam 3 - Bovine C-Section, Castration, & Prolapse Flashcards
cervical prolapses are most common in what cows?
bos indicus breeds - brahmins
how do you determine the possibility of vaginal extraction in a cow with a calf in anterior presentation?
look to see if both forelimbs & head are in the pelvic canals
if the legs are crossed, it will not fit!!! need to do a c-section
why can’t you immediately try to pull a calf after seeing both front legs exiting the vaginal canal of a cow?
you need to see if the head is also in the pelvic canal - if you try & pull them without checking them, you will only get them stuck further & guarantee the need for a c-section
what are some reasons you may have to do a c-section in a food animal?
maybe too big of fetus
abortion
fetal malpositioning
uterus pushing against a closed cervix - especially in sheep
calcium deficiency
what does it mean if you palpate a dead calf & feel crepitus?
very bad!!!! anaerobic consumption going on & mother cow is very much so at risk
T/F: anterior positioning of calves during cow parturition is often mishandled
true
what epidural is done in cows to keep them standing for a c-section?
sacro-coccygeal block
how is a sacro-coccygeal (caudal epidural) block done on a cow?
the S4-Co1 or Co1-Co2 space (whichever is most cranial) is located by elevating & lowering the tail while palpating the area & identifying the space at which the tail hinges
needle is passed into this space on midline between the vertebrae - hub of needle is filled with saline & needle is advanced until the fluid is aspirated as it enters the epidural space (negative pressure within the epidural space)
what is the purpose of doing an epidural prior to a c-section on a cow?
it will prevent evisceration & straining during surgery
what is the general dose of lidocaine used for cow c-section epidurals?
6 mL of 2% lidocaine for every 1000 lbs
what is the toxic dose of lidocaine for small ruminants? is this your starting point for a dose? why?
toxic dose is 10 mg/kg - not you’re starting dose
start with 5 mg/kg & don’t go above it without intention (1/2 mL 2% lidocaine/100 lb)
what is quotient sufficient in terms of diluting lidocaine for a block?
“1 mL of lidocaine q/s 6” - 1 ml of lidocaine diluted with 6 mL of saline to get a big enough volume to get all of the nerves you want
what are the 3 possible approaches that may be taken for a c-section?
left paralumbar fossa (vertical or oblique)
right paralumbar fossa (vertical or oblique)
ventral paramedian
what does your c-section approach depend on?
dairy vs. beef animal
status of cow & calf
facilities & labor
location of the pregnancy
how do you determine the location of a pregnancy in a cow prior to deciding your approach for a c-section?
rectal palpation!!!!
why is a left paralumbar approach preferable to a right paralumbar approach for a c-section?
intestines are located on the right side, so you can avoid them on the left
what are some examples of an elective c-section? what is the prognosis?
embryo transfer calves
live calf prior to the initiation of natural calving
healthy dam
good prognosis for dam & fetus
what are some examples of a non-emphysematous c-section in a cow?
healthy dam
fetus may or may not be alive
good to guarded prognosis (good for mom & guarded for fetus)
what are some examples of an emphysematous c-section in a cow?
dead, rotten fetus!!!!!!
compromised health status of the dam
poorer prognosis for mom
T/F: before doing emergency surgery in a cow with an emphysematous fetus, you should stabilize the cow prior
true
what uterine horn do camelids carry their pregnancy?
left uterine horn
the right-sided approach for c-sections is more common in dairy animals - what should you do when closing? what is the increased risk with this approach?
tack the abomasum when closing!!!
must deal with small intestines - increased risk of evisceration
the left-sided approach for c-sections is more common in beef cattle - what is the increased risk with this approach?
easier without small intestines
rumen can prolapse out of the incision with abdominal straining
when is the ventral approach for c-sections used? what are the benefits?
useful for compromised cows to exteriorize the uterus & good for sheep in cold climates
may be preferred for show animals (small incisions)
gives you the ability to exteriorize the uterus & prevent uterine contents from spilling into the abdomen
how is the uterus closed? what is the most common pattern used? why?
continuous inverting pattern with absorbable suture - utrecht pattern is the most common because it is very fast to do, has minimal exposure of suture material, & you can bury your knots
why is monocryl not a great suture choice for larger animals when closing a c-section?
it doesn’t go up very big - maybe just to 0? can use for smaller ruminants
why not use cat gut for closing a uterus? when may you use it as a last resort?
it causes big reactions, generally sucks, low tensile strength, & poor knot security
may reach for it if the uterus is tearing with everything else you are trying
why do you need absorbable suture when closing a uterus?
the uterus involutes while you are closing & it heals very well on its own
when may you use a multifilament for closing a uterus? what should you watch for?
if you are having to close alone - make sure you’re not sawing the tissue with the multifilament
what suture materials are used for closing a uterus that have high tensile strength & good knot security? which lasts the shortest? which lasts the longest?
vicryl (polyglactin 910) - multifilament
PDS (polydioxanone) - monofilament
monocryl (poliglecaprone) - monofilament
longest - PDS, 180 days
middle - monocryl, 90-120 days
shortest - vicryl, 56-79 days
what are the pros of castration? what are the cons of castration?
pros - increase rate of gain, behavior modification, & eliminate non-desirable genetics
cons - genetic contribution is gone
what are 3 examples of castration techniques used in large animals?
local block - into cord, parenchyma of testicles, & skin of the scrotum where you are cutting
push testicles up, cut off bottom 1/3 of scrotum, so when testicles drop you can see them OR push testicles all the way up & use a newberry knife to make 2 incisions on the side of the scrotum
1: emasculators, nut to nut, placed perpendicular to the cord to not shear the vessels
2: henderson bloodless castrator
3: manual removal, you literally rip them off
what is the rule for leaving emasculators on for hemostasis in large animals?
a minute for every year old they are - so if 7 years old, 7 minutes on for hemostasis
what tool is this? how do you put it on the animal?
emasculator
nut to nut, perpendicular to the cord
what is the name of this tool?
reimer emasculator - crushing surface is on the body side
what is the name of this tool?
serra & modified-serra emasculator
what is the name of this tool?
sand emasculator - half moons at the top & clamp across the bottom
what is the name of this tool?
white emasculator
what is the name of this tool?
henderson tool for bloodless castration
what is this? what animals is it done in?
non-surgical castration
only done in young animals that are smaller probably
what are some examples of prolapses you may see on the back end of a cow?
- rectal
- vaginal
- cervical
- uterine
- any combination of the above
what is shown in the picture? what is the problem if you see this?
vaginal prolapse!!!!
it is hereditary & is a significant reason for culling - also happens in older & fat animals
these usually reduce on their own
what is prolapsed here?
a lot of vagina & cervix!
what is wrong here? how do you fix it?
cervical prolapse
lube up the prolapse & provide enough compression either through gauze squares using your fingers/hands until it shrinks some & push it all the way back in to where it is in place & in line with the uterus
if it becomes necrotic or black - do what you can & get them on a trailer somewhere
what is this? should you put it on a trailer as soon as you see it? why?
uterine prolapse!!! emergency!!!! NO!!! they will die on the trailer, see them in the field
what animals do we see uterine prolapses in?
dairy cattle, beef cattle, & small ruminants
what are some reasons that a uterine prolapse may occur in food animals?
commonly seen postpartum 12-24 hours!!!
usually related to hypocalcemia, dystocia, or large fetal size
what other structures may be involved in a uterine prolapse?
bladder & small intestines
how do you fix a uterine prolapse?
clean the uterus as thoroughly as possible & remove the placenta if possible
need to decrease edema in the uterus - can use sugar, cold water, etc
elevate the uterus up high before trying to push it back in!!!!! use tables, towels, grates, & maybe even pull back feet behind the cow to frog leg them
push the uterus back in using your fists not fingers!!!! fingers can rip through the uterine wall
treat them with oxytocin, calcium, & antibiotics
when is a buhner stitch used? when is it removed?
used for cervical & uterine prolapses
removed in 7-10 days
what kind of suture is used for rectal prolapses?
purse string
T/F: for rectal prolapses, there is a high correlation to respiratory disease and/or diarrhea
true
+/- link to tail docking
