Large Animal - Surgery

Question 1

What are the advantages of castration?

Answer 1

Prevents indiscriminate mating
Reduces aggression - easier management of animals, safety of staff and public
Reduces taint
Improves carcass quality

Question 2

What are the disadvantages of castration?

Answer 2

Reduced growth rate
Pain
Consumers don’t like fat
Loss of potential breeding animals

Question 3

When is anaesthesia required for castration?

Answer 3

Bull/goat - older than two months

Ram - older thanthree months

Question 4

What animals can an elastrator ring be used on?

Answer 4

Animals less than a week old

Question 5

What are the advantages and disadvantages to eslastrator/rubber ring?

Answer 5

Advantages - simplicity, low failure rate

Disadvantages - only within 1 week of age, pain, tissue necrosis

Question 6

Describe elastrator/rubber ringing

Answer 6

Lambs and calves
Causes necrosis of scrotum and testis
Within 1 week of birth by law
Ensure both testis are within the scrotum and distal tothe ring
Mind the penis

Question 7

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Burdizzo or bloodless castrators?

Answer 7

Advantages - no wound

Disadvantages - pain, high failure rate, scrotal ischaemia, crushing sigmoid flexure

Question 8

Describe the technique to use a Burdizzo castrator

Answer 8

Draw right testis into bottom of scrotal sac
Hold spermatic cord firmly against lateral edge of neck of scrotum
Clamp cord about 4cm above testis
Second clamp about 2cm distal to first
Repeat for left testis, leave gap between left and right crush marks

Question 9

What should we warn the owner when using a Burdizzo castrator?

Answer 9

Check scrotum - should contain 2 hard nuts 8 weeks later

Question 10

What complications are there when using a Burdizzo castrator?

Answer 10

Failure to crush cord adequately
Scrotal necrosis
Accidental clamping of sigmoid flexure of penis

Question 11

What three things need to be considered when doing an open castration?

Answer 11

Clean calf
Clean environment
Clean surgeon

Question 12

What two major things must be done when doing an open castration?

Answer 12

Incision must involve bottom of scrotum

Only touch tissues that will be removed

Question 13

Describe the process of doing an open castration

Answer 13

Put a scalpel and a pair of large forceps in a tray with disinfectant
Get someone else to catch and restrain the calf
Infiltrate local anaesthetic
Swab the scrotum with disinfectant
Tense the testis into the bottom of the scrotum
Pick up the scalpel
Make a J-shaped incision through the skin, dartos and vaginal tunic down to the testis
Avoid slashing wrist or fingers
Put scalpel down
Remove testis (pull and twist)
Repeat on second testis

Question 14

Describe anaesthesia for an open castration

Answer 14

3-5ml Procaine each side
Infiltrate around cord
Infiltrate under skin
Intratesticular
NSAIDs post op

Question 15

What difference is there between castrating lambs and rams?

Answer 15

Lambs - cut off bottom of scrotum, local anaesthetic

Rams - require greater care, epidural block

Question 16

What anesthesia does a boar require for open castration?

Answer 16

Sedation
Epidural block
General anaesthesia

Question 17

What are some complications involved with open castration?

Answer 17

Haemorrhage
Post-operative - oedema, infection
Gut tie
Inguinal herniation

Question 18

What in a history would influence the decision to perform a caesarean?

Answer 18

Dam - heifer or cow, more than five days beyond expected calving date, long period of unproductive straining
Calf - valubale calf

Question 19

What on an external examination would influence the decision to perform a caesarean?

Answer 19

Body condition - fat, very thin if beef dam
Age/maturity - normal calving unlikely below 18 months of age
Confirmation - any gross abnormalities
Health - any concurrent disaease

Question 20

What are the indications for performing a caesarean?

Answer 20

Foeto-maternal disproportion
Incomplete dilatation of the cervix
Irreducible uterine torsion
Foetal deformity
Faulty foetal disposition

Question 21

What is the most frequent overall indication for a caesarean in cattle?

Answer 21

Foeto-maternal disproportion

Question 22

When is a caesarean indicated with foeto-maternal disproportion?

Answer 22

Head and both elbows can not be pulled into the pelvic canal by traction by one person with a calving aid

Question 23

What does a successful prognosis with a caesarean depend upon?

Answer 23

Duration of dystocia
Concurrent disease
Skill and speed of the surgeon
Availability of skilled assistance
Surgical environment
Presence of a live calf

Question 24

Where should you perform a caesarean?

Answer 24

Clean box with fresh straw
Automatic yolks or "crush"
Restraint
Light
Clean and non-slip floor

Question 25

Describe standing caesarean surgery

Answer 25

Halter cow in a corner with right flank against a wall
Bulldogs in nose
Rope on right hind leg
Tail tied to right hind leg
Clenbuterol
Epidural
Xylazine

Question 26

Describe caesarean in arecumbent animal

Answer 26

Cast or use xylazine
Clenbuterol
Tie tail
Hobble legs
Semi-lateral recumbency with balebehind shoulder

Question 27

What are the anaesthesia options for a caesarean?

Answer 27

Paravertebral - T13, L1, L2 and L3
Local block - line, inverted L
Epidural if straining
Try not to sedate

Question 28

Describe preparation of the animal for a caesarean section

Answer 28

Clip or shave a large area of the left flank
Prep the flank
Drape with: - cloth, plastic or clingfilm

Question 29

Describe preparation of the surgeon when performing a caesarean section

Answer 29

Kit in a safe place
Scrub suit
Scrub up
Thread large curved round bodied needle
Use 5 to 8 metric catgut for uterus
Sterile calving ropes
Revival equipment
Prepare your assistant

Question 30

Describe the a caesarean surgery

Answer 30

Test anaesthesia
Incise abdomen - left flank, identify layers, rush of air, avoid the rumen
Incise uterus
Remove calf
Check for a second calf
Tidy foetal membranes up
Check for uterine haemorrhage - ligate large vessels
Suture uterus - 5 to 8M catgut. continuous inverting pattern, interlocking/water-tight, double layer
Clean uterus and reposition
Remove blood clots from abdomen
Abdominal antibiosis
Suture each of the 3 muscle layers separately

Question 31

Describe post-operative management of a caesarean surgery

Answer 31

Clean surgical area
Dip calf navel
Feed calf colostrum
Topical spray
Oxytocin
Untie tail
Antibiotics for 3 days
NSAIDs

Question 32

What are some complications with caesarean section surgery?

Answer 32

Intra op - straining, incised rumen, uterine tear, haemorrhage, recumbency, contamination
Post op - wound infection, endo/metritis, peritonitis, sepsis, adhesions, infetility