Nose Rings, Dehorning, Tracheal Collapse

Question 1

Identify this instrument:

Answer 1

Roberts Dehorner (aka tube gouge)

Used for very young animals (<2 weeks old or something like that)

Question 2

Identify this instrument:

Answer 2

Barnes Dehorner

Used on animals 3 months to 1 year of age

Question 3

Identify this big-ass instrument:

Answer 3

Keystone dehorner

• >3 ft handles - very large
• Guillotine cutting with 2 opposing blades that cut the horn when 2 handles are brought together - very sharp cutting blades
• Need to remove base and remove some of skin (1cm) to prevent regrowth

Question 4

What is a major advantage of using obstetric wire for dehorning?

Answer 4

cauterization

Can move fast enough to generate friction, which cauterizes and stops the bleeding

Question 5

What is the primary complication associated with dehorning?

Answer 5

hemorrhage

• Complications of dehorning:
  
  • ​Hemorrhage: most common [arteries may need to be pulled or ligated]
  • Infection [acute sinusitis]

Question 6

What are the disadvantages of cosmetic dehorning?

Answer 6

• More time consuming, more complex
• Expensive
• Sterile technique must be practiced because potential for drainage is eliminated

Question 7

T/F: Polledness is a dominant trait

Answer 7

True

Polledness is a dominant autosomal trait

Question 8

What instrument is most commonly used for cosmetic dehorning?

Answer 8

Barnes dehorner

• Clip upper part of head, surgical prep, block
• Large elliptical incision around the horn
• Undermine skin
• Barne’s dehorner
• Closure of skin over sinuses – must make symmetrical - nonabsorbable suture material and close skin over frontal sinus

Question 9

What is the most common cause of sinusitis in equine patients?

Answer 9

tooth root abscess

Question 10

What is the most common cause of sinusitis in cattle?

Answer 10

dehorning

Question 11

At what age do we typically see tracheal collapse in equine and bovine patients?

Answer 11

YOUNG patients

Typically seen in calves and foals as a result of traumatic injury. There is usually a history of dystocia, broken ribs, compresion in the birth canal

Question 12

What are the main physical exam findings associated with tracheal collapse in large animals?

Answer 12

• Inspiratory and expiratory dyspnea
• Poor body condition
• Rib, cranial fractures (forced extraction at birth)

Question 13

How are these used for tracheal collapse in large animals?

Answer 13

extraluminal tracheal prosthesis

• Stent using 35 to 65ml syringe barrel - size of syringe depends on size of trachea and age of the animal
• Surgery done with animal in dorsal recumbency
• Place syringe barrel around the trachea (after smoothing the barrel and placing holes in it for suture tying)
• May need to remove 2-3 months after placement to allow for unrestricted growth – may lead to collapse in other segments
• Treated calves may be smaller than herd mates
• May need to replace with larger stent - as animal grows, so does trachea, but prosthesis does not - may need a second surgery

Question 14

T/F: Until 2 months of age, the horn bud is not attached to the skull

Answer 14

True

Until 2 months of age the horn bud is not attached to the periosteum of the frontal bone

Question 15

In calves between 4 and 6 months of age, the __________ sinus opens into the horn

Answer 15

In calves between 4 and 6 months of age, the frontal sinus opens into the horn

Question 16

What nerve(s) need to be blocked for dehorning in the goat?

Answer 16

infratrochlear and lacrimal

Cornual branch of the infratrochlear nerve and the cornual branch of the lacrimal nerve

Question 17

What nerve(s) need to be blocked for dehorning in the cow?

Answer 17

cornual nerve