Teat and Udder Surgery Flashcards
Surgical disease of the udder is most common in what type of cow?
Dairy cow
What is the most common congenital anomaly in cattle?
Supernumerary teats
When should supernumerary teats be removed?
6 months of age
What are 3 problems with supernumerary teats?
- Interfere with milking
- Increased risk of mastitis
- Cosmetics
What are three ways the determination of which supernumerary teats should be removed is made?
- Ultrasound
- Palpation
- Probe with teat cannula
Using a scope to go inside a teat cistern/sinus is known as what?
Theloscopy
What is a surgical procedurel that allows obstructing tissue to be resected with minimal surgical trauma?
Theloscopy
After teat injury, the incidence of mastitis is the affected quarter increases by what percent?
50%
What are 3 complications seen with teat injury?
- Teat obstruction
- Reduced milk flow
- Longer milking time
An annular ring obstruction is also known as what?
“Spider Teat”
What are 3 possible things that could cause obstruction in the teat?
- Fibrosis
- Papilloma/polyp
- Calculus
What are 4 possible causes of reduced milk flow?
- Congenital/acquired obstructions
- Agenesia
- Tissue proliferation
- Milk stones
What are 2 possible causes of a tight streak canal?
- Self-inflicted injury to the apex of the teat
- Poor functioning milking machine
What tool can be used to increase the diameter of the teat canal?
Lichty teat knife
A Lichty teat knife can be used to make up to how many cuts to open up a streak canal?
At what angles?
- 4 cuts
- 90 degrees
What is done to increase milk flow after the diameter of the teat canal has been increased?
Milk by hand every hour between morning and afternoon milking.
What can be done with the milk collected right after a Lichty knife has been used to increase the diameter of the teat canal?
What can’t be done with the milk?
- Can be used to feed calves.
- Can’t be put in the milk tank.
What is a tool that can be used to enlarge a teat canal by gently twisting all the way up into the cistern and then pulling it straight out?
Spiral teat curette
Obstruction in the area of the teat cistern can be corrected in what way?
Surgery by introducing instrument through the teat orifice.
What is a tool that can be used to remove a mass inside a teat cistern?
Hugs teat tumor extractor
What is a tool that can be used in an awake animal to rapidly remove mucosa?
Cornell teat curette
Milk stones/floating calculi can be removed by what tool?
Alligator forceps
What are 2 conditions that can make a cow more prone to teat lacerations?
- Over-crowding
- Anatomy of animal (short legs, pendulous mammary glands)
Is a teat laceration considered an emergency situation?
Why?
- Yes
- Increased risk of mastitis
Is there a better blood supply proximally or distally on the teat?
Proximally
What has a better prognosis, a horizontal or vertical laceration?
Vertical laceration
Is streak canal repair easy or difficult?
Why?
- Difficult
- Streak canal has a small diameter
There is a greater risk of what occurring with a full thickness laceration perforation of the teat sinus?
Risk of mastitis
The prognosis worsens with a traumatic injury to the teat when what is involved?
Why?
- Teat sphincter
- Difficult to achieve anatomic repair and restore sphincter function.
If there is irreversible trauma to a teat, what is the best treatment?
Teat amputation
What are 2 different formulas to use for chemical destruction?
- 100 cc 10% formaldehyde diluted in 500 cc saline
- 100 cc 3% silver nitrate solution
What kind of a diagnosis does a degloving injury have?
Poor prognosis
What are 2 types of blocks that can be used for teat anesthesia?
- Ring block
- Inverted “V”
What type of suture should be used for the first layer of a surgical repair of a teat laceration?
What type of pattern?
- 3-0 or 4-0 absorbable suture
- Continuous pattern
What type of suture should be used for the submucosal layer of a surgical repair of a teat laceration?
4-0 or 5-0 absorbable suture
What suture pattern should be used to close the skin in the surgical repair of a teat laceration?
Vertical mattress
What is an important consideration with teat laceration repair?
Need to save as much tissue as possible.
With a partial thickness teat laceration, what two layers need to be closed?
- SQ
- Skin
How often should milk be drained after teat laceration repair?
How should it be done?
- Every second day
- Passively by hand or teat cannula
When can a cow be put back on a milking machine after a teat laceration repair?
After pain and inflammation are gone.
A draining tract/opening between the mucosa and skin on a teat is known as what?
Teat fistula
How should an acute teat fistula be treated?
Medically with debridement and antibiotics.
At what point during a cow’s lactation cycle is a good time to repair a teat fistula?
Dry period
What is a type of cannula that can be used in a teat?
Larson teat cannula
What is a risk associated with using a teat cannula?
Ascending infection
A slow or hard milker could be due to what?
Mass in the wall of the teat cistern
What allows for good evaluation and treatment of teat obstructions?
Thelotomy
What are 2 tools that can be used to remove tissue in a teat?
- Cornell teat curette
- Hugs teat tumor extractor
It is important to preserve what when removing tissue within the teat canal?
Preserve the mucosa
A thelotomy is closed in how many layers?
3
Milk leakage through an attempted full thickness teat closure can lead to what?
Teat fistula formation
What can be used for a teat implant?
Silastic tubing
What are 2 indications for using a teat implant?
- Teat cistern mucosa cannot be closed over the defect.
- Membrane present in heifer between the gland and teat cistern.
A teat implant needs to be anchored to the teat wall with what type of suture?
Non-absorbable suture
What is the number one risk associated with a teat implant?
What is the second most common risk?
- Ascending infection
- Implant migrates into gland cistern if not properly anchored
What type of skin graft is used in teat repair?
Where is the graft harvested from?
- Autograft
- Mucosa of the gums
An udder amputation is known as a what?
Mastectomy
What is more commonly seen in large animal surgery, a mastectomy or a teat laceration?
Teat laceration
With chronic or severe mastitis, what is another option to surgical mastectomy?
Chemically destroying the quarter
If the milk is bloody and red, if could indicate what type of infection?
Pasteurella
What needs to be considered when dealing with a mastectomy in preparation for skin closure?
Need to preserve as much skin as possible for closure.
What shape incision is used around the udder for a mastectomy?
Elliptical incision
When performing a mastectomy, it is important to isolate what?
Isolate the vasculature
What can be used when dealing with smaller vessels, but not larger vessels?
Electrosurgical unit
What are 2 sets of vessels that are important to ligate when performing a mastectomy?
- Milk veins
- Perineal arteries and veins
What is the main source of blood supply to the udder?
External pudendal artery and veins
It is important to do what to the major vessels associated with the udder?
Double ligate using non-absorbable suture
The external pudendal vessels can be what size in a cow?
1.5 cm in diameter
When suturing up after a mastectomy, what is a good pattern to use in the deeper tissue for good apposition?
Near-far-far-near
