Local Anesthesia, Dehorning and Castrations

Question 1

What is the definition of castration?

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Why do we castrate animals?

Answer 2

Decrease fighting and injury
Taste of meat
Decrease quality grade if in tact
Breeding not desirable

Question 3

When should you castrate the following:
Cattle:
Sheep:
Goat:
Pig:

Answer 3

Cattle: 1st day of birth up to 120 days best
Sheep: at birth or soon after
Goat: 6 months if pet, asap if meat
Pig: 2-5 days

Question 4

What are the 3 general methods of castration?

Answer 4

Physical
Chemical
Hormonal

Question 5

When should elastrator bands be applied? How do you do it?

Answer 5

Birth to 3 weeks old
Pull both testicles through the band, apply rubber string and strangulates the cord, testes fall off in 1-3 weeks (dont get nipple in there)

Question 6

What are some complications with the elastrator bands?

Answer 6

Miss a testicle, need to vaccinate for tetanus, old bands may be dry rotted, no teats or other structures

Question 7

What are some bloodless castration options in older calves?
What is considered an older calve?

Answer 7

> 5 months old
Callicrate bander, tri-bander, EZE bander, XL bander
-may need to go cut off scrotum in 3-4 days after applying
VACINATE for tetanus

Question 8

What is the minimum size bull that can be castrated by the calibrate bander?

Answer 8

200lbs

Question 9

How does the Burdizzo work?

Answer 9

Crush the spermatic cord and disrupt circulation to the testicles (atrophy over time) - clamp at different levels
Tetanus key

Question 10

What kind of local anesthesia can be used for castration?

Answer 10

Local block - lidocaine intra spermatic cord or testicle
Meloxicam good for pain after

Question 11

What is helpful about the Newberry knife?

Answer 11

Opens the scrotum up more for drainage - split longitudinally and makes 2 flapps

Question 12

What should you do to help restrain cattle while castrating?

Answer 12

Perform a tail jack

Question 13

How much scrotum should you cut off when castrating a bull surgically?

Answer 13

1/3 of the scrotum (make in one swift cut)

Question 14

How do you proceed from castration after removing the bottom of the scrotum?

Answer 14

grab testicle and pull down, push up with scrotum to free up the spermatic cord, keep constant tension

Question 15

If you have an older calf with a larger spermatic cord, what can you do to help reduce bleeding?

Answer 15

Used Henderson castration tool, emasculator or cord

Question 16

For small ruminant castration in older animals what does that procedure look like?

Answer 16

Full sedation
Pain meds and antibiotics
CDT
Ligate cord or emasculate (millers knot or transfixation

Question 17

What should you do after every castration to prevent fly strike?

Answer 17

Spray Catron!

Question 18

What are the 2 complications of castration?

Answer 18

Bleeding out and infection

Question 19

How are swine castrated?

Answer 19

Restrain upside down, squeeze testicle in scrotum, use 12 blade and cut over them, pull straight out not down

Question 20

How can you get meloxicam to piglets?

Answer 20

Feed it to the sow 3hrs prior to castration

Question 21

How do you perform larger pig castration?

Answer 21

Anesthesia - Telazole, ketamine and xylazine - 1cc/50lnb IM
-Use midazolam, dexmedetomadine and butorphanol for pet
Surgery - lace in lateral and prep scrotum , cut over, remove botom testis then break own ligaments and emasculate or ligate

Question 22

Should there be swelling with banding?

Answer 22

NO!

Question 23

What is disbudding?

Answer 23

Removal or destruction of the horn producing corium in young ruminants (<2 weeks old and as early as 24 hours of life)

Question 24

Dehorning Definition

Answer 24

More painful with longer healing time, horns removed after the horn-producing corium has attached to the skull

Question 25

How do you perform anesthesia for dehorning?

Answer 25

Restrains, sedate 1ml xylazine per 100ml lidocaine

Cornual nerve block - trigeminal/zygomaticotemperal
Infiltration lidocaine (5 min to work)

Question 26

What are some considerations for dehorning?

Answer 26

Clip the hair, disbud young, barnd dehorner older or gigli wire (surgical vs cosmetic)

Question 27

When using the butane torch to disbud what should you always di before starting the procedure?

Answer 27

Pre-heat it and test it (doesn’t like to start in cold)

Question 28

For small ruminant - dont push too hard or hold longer than 5 seconds when disbudding with hot iron. For cattle you have to …

Answer 28

push in a little harder

Question 29

How do you use barns dehorners?

Answer 29

Push away from you - get positioned and wait - push hard and fast

Question 30

What is exposed after dehorning larger animals?

Answer 30

Frontal Sinus
-Older with developed sinus only remove the tips if that’s an option

Question 31

How do you get the bleeding to stop if you have dehorned a larger animal?

Answer 31

Pull the artery

Question 32

What kind of postop care should be taken dehorning?

Answer 32

Fly control, monitor hemorrhage, open sinus cover with bandage or pine tar
-no eat from hay or round bale until healed

Check for drainage, head shaking, head tilt, nasal discharge, lethargy

Question 33

Is it recommended to dehorn adult goats?

Answer 33

No, sinusitis could be bad