Reproductive surgery - large animals

Question 1

How does castration affect carcass quality?

Answer 1

Increases fat content therefore poorer quality

Question 2

Disadvantages - castration

Answer 2

reduced growth rate and FCE
Pain/growth check
Consumers prefer a lean carcase
Loss of potential breeding animal

Question 3

Outline the anaesthetic legislation on castration

Answer 3

Anaesthesia required for:
bull, goat > 2 months
Ram > 3 months

[Elastrator ring is only for animals < 1 week old]

Question 4

Are pigs usually castrated in the UK?

Answer 4

No

Question 5

What is the failure rate of an elastrator/rubber ring?

Answer 5

Low (causes tissue necrosis)

Question 6

What is the Burdizzo method?

Answer 6

= Bloodless castrator method
Calves and lambs
ADVANTAGES: no wound
DISADVANTAGES: pain, high failure rate, scrotal ischaemia, crushing sigmoid flexure

Question 7

Outline the Burdizzo technique

Answer 7

Draw right testis into bottom of scrotal sca, hold spermatic cord firmly against lateral edge of neck of scrotum, clamp cord about 4cm above the testis, second clamp about 1cm distal to the first, repeat for left testis, but leaving a gap between left and right crush marks.

Warn owner to check scrotum contains 2 hard nuts, 8 weeks later

Question 8

Complications - Burdizzo technique - 3

Answer 8

failure to crush cord adequately
scrotal necrosis
accidental clamping of sigmoid flexure of the penis

Question 9

How do you anaesthetise for open castration?

Answer 9

3-5ml procain each side

infiltrate around cord, under skin, intra-testicular?, NSAIDs post-op

Question 10

How do you perform open castration?

Answer 10

make a j-shaped incision through the skin, dartos and vaginal tunic down to testis, remove testis (pull and twist)

Question 11

Complications - open castration

Answer 11

HAEMORRHAGE
oedema
infection
‘gut tie’ inguinal heriation

Question 12

How do CS and foetotomy compare?

Answer 12

CS is less exhausting, speedier and safer than foetotomy

Question 13

History that indicates CS

Answer 13

Heifer> cow
> 5 dyas beyond expected calving date
long period of unproductive straining
valuable calf
normal calving unlikely below age of 18 months
BCS >3.5 or very thin
gross confirmation abnormalities
concurrent disease

Question 14

Indications - CS

Answer 14

Foeto-maternal disproportion
Incomplete dilatation of the cervix
irreducible uterine torsion
foetal deformity
faulty foetal disposition (presentation, posture or position)
deformities in maternal pelvis
hydrops amni or allantois
emphysematous foetus

Question 15

What does a successful CS prognosis depend on? 6

Answer 15

duration of dystocia
concurrent disease
skill and speed of surgeon
availability of skilled assistance
surgical environment
presence of a live calf

Question 16

What do ‘bulldogs’ in a cow’s nose do?

Answer 16

Rings that help keep her restrained.

Question 17

How can you reduce the cow’s straining without giving an epidural?

Answer 17

flex the calf’s carpal joints so that they aren’t stimulating the vagina. (epidurals increase the risk of a cow lying down)

Question 18

What does clenbutorol do?

Answer 18

relaxes myometrium (illegal in the Netherlands and Belgium)

Question 19

List the anaesthesia options for CS

Answer 19

PARAVERTEBRAL: T13, L1, L2 (not L3)
Local block - LINE
                    - Inverted "L"
Epidural if straining
Avoid sedation

Question 20

What needles and suture material do you use?

Answer 20

MATERIAL: 5 to 8 metric catgut for uterus
NEEDLE: large curved round bodied
PATTERN: continuous inverting pattern (to accomodate shrinkage during involution)

Question 21

When is a right-sided CS indicated? 2

Answer 21

If oversised foetus is situated on RHS

Marked rumen distension

Question 22

When is a ventral CS indicated? 2

Answer 22

Dead and emphysematous calves

Question 23

What might you use for abdominal antibiosis?

Answer 23

Crystapen (streptopen)
NOT metronidazole (ILLEGAL!!!!)
May give Ab between each mm layer when suturing up.

Question 24

What drugs might you give a cow after a CS?

Answer 24

Topical spray
Oxytocin
ABs
NSAIDs

Question 25

When do you do a follow-up exam on a cow after a CS?

Answer 25

24-72 hours later
PE : TPR, rumen, uterus (stage of involution)
Wound
Appetite
Cleansed/adhesions
ABs - 3 days

Question 26

CS intra-op complications - 6

Answer 26

Straining
incised rumen
uterine tear
haemorrhage
recumbency
contamination
(death)

Question 27

CS post-op complications - 6

Answer 27

wound infections
endo/metritis
peritonitis
sepsis (emphysema)
adhesions
infertility/sub-production
(death)

Question 28

What might the clinical status be of a small ruminants with multiple foetuses?

Answer 28

may be ketotic