Reproductive surgery in farm animals Flashcards
castration - advantages
Prevents indiscriminate mating
Reduces aggression - easier management of animals, safety of staff & general public
Reduces taint - boar, bull
Improves carcass quality? - more fat
castration - disadvantages
Reduced growth rate and FCE
Pain / growth check after castration
Consumers don’t like fat (lean carcase)
Loss of potential breeding animals
present castration situation
Calves - Usually castrated except for “bull beef” enterprises, better if young, but done up to 18 months old
Lambs - usually castrated, old lambs suffer severe set back
Pigs - usually left uncastrated
elastrator/rubber ring
Lambs and calves
Causes necrosis of scrotum and testis
Within 1 week of birth by law (hill flocks?)
MUST ensure both testis are within the scrotum and distal to the ring - otherwise will create inguinal cryptorchid
Mind the penis (sigmoid flexure)
elastrator/rubber ring - advantages
simplicity
low failure rate
elastrator/rubber ring - disadvantages
Only within 1 week of age
Pain
necrosis of tissues
Burdizzo or bloodless castrator
Calves and lambs Advantage - no wound Disadvantages - pain, high failure rate, scrotal ischaemia, crushing sigmoid flexure restraint safety of operator
burdizzo - technique
Draw right testis into bottom of scrotal sac
Hold spermatic cord firmly against lateral edge of neck of scrotum
Clamp cord about 4 cm above testis
Second clamp about 1 cm distal to first
Repeat for left testis, but leaving a gap between left and right crush marks
burdizzo - complications
Failure to crush cord adequately
scrotal necrosis
accidental clamping of sigmoid flexure of penis
must check scrotum contains 2 hard nuts 8 weeks later
open castration
must have clean calf, environment and surgeon
incision must involve bottom of scrotum
only touch tissue that will be removed
scalpel + pair of forceps in disinfectant
catch and restrain the calf
Infiltrate local anaesthetic
Swab the scrotum with disinfectant
Tense the testis into the bottom of the scrotum
J shaped incision
open castration - anaesthesia
3-5 ml”s Procaine each side (calf) Infiltrate around cord Infiltrate under skin Intra testicular NSAID’s post op
open castration - complications
Haemorrhage
Post-operative - oedema, Infection (Clostridial bugs)
“gut tie”
Inguinal Herniation
caesarean section
Routine obstetric procedure in cattle practice
A prompt decision to perform a caesarean operation is important for optimum success.
Less exhausting, speedier and safer than foetotomy.
caesarean section - decisions leading to
Dam - Heifer or cow, More than five days beyond expected calving date, Long period of unproductive straining
Calf - Presence of a valuable calf
caesarean section - indications
Foeto-maternal disproportion. Incomplete dilatation of the cervix. Irreducible uterine torsion. Foetal deformity. Faulty foetal disposition (presentation, posture and position).
standing surgery
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 (illegal in NL and BE) Epidural Xylazine 0.8 to 1.0 ml iv
recumbent animal
Cast or use xylazine Clenbuterol Tie tail Hobble legs Semi-lateral recumbency with bale behind shoulder
anaesthesia options
Paravertebral: T13, L1, L2, L3 Local block Line inverted “L” Epidural if straining Do your best not to sedate
caesarean section - after care
Check for a second calf Foetal membranes tidied up Check for haemorrhage from uterus - ligate large vessels Suture uterus 5 to 8 M catgut Continuous inverting pattern Interlocking / water-tight Double layer Clean uterus and reposition Remove blood clots from abdomen suture 3 muscle layers seperately
caesarean section - post-operative management
Clean surgical area dip navel of calf feed calf colostrum Topical Spray Oxytocin Untie tail Antibiotics for 3 days NSAID’s
caesarean section - intra op complications
Straining Incised rumen Uterine tear Haemorrhage Recumbency Contamination
caesarean section - post op complications
Wound infection Endo/Metritis Peritonitis Sepsis (emphysema ) Adhesions Infertility/ Sub-production death
small ruminants
Single large sized lamb/ kid Multiple foetuses (may be ketotic) Paper Thin Uterus!!! Horn Torsion Vaginal prolapse Thin body wall
