Teat And Udder Surgery

Question 1

Where is the annular ring located in the teat?

Answer 1

At the base

Question 2

What are supernumerary teats?

Answer 2

Additional small teats

Question 3

Why are supernumerary teats usually removed and at what age?

Answer 3

Removed at EARLY age

• prevents mastitis
• interfere with milking
• cosmetics

Question 4

What can be used to remove supernumerary teats?

Answer 4

Pincer emasculotome (Burdizzo)

Question 5

What can cause teat obstructions?

Answer 5

1) fibrosis
- older cows

2) spider teats (annular ring obstruction)
3) Papilloma/ polyp
4) Calculus
5) sphincter injury
6) black spot

Question 6

What is Thelotomy?

Answer 6

Full thickness incision through wall of teat (OPEN teat surgery)

• vertical incision
• accesses into teat sinus

Question 7

What are some instruments that can be used for teat surgery?

Answer 7

1) lichty teat knife
2) spiral teat curette
3) hugs teat tumor extractor
4) corneal teat curette
5) alligator forceps

Question 8

What are the indications for Lichty teat knife

Answer 8

-stenosis in the teat canal

Question 9

What are the indications for a spiral teat curette?

Answer 9

Looks like a drill bit

-opening up stenotic teat canal

Question 10

What are the indications for a Hugs teat tumor extractor

Answer 10

Has a circular cutting edge (blunt tip) and canular

-remove tumors

Question 11

What are the indications for the Cornel teat curette?

Answer 11

Has a blunt tip, one sharp edge and a flat handle

-scrap away tumors (polyps) from Teat sinus

Question 12

What are the alligator forceps used for?

Answer 12

-Closed teat surgery

Question 13

How should teat laceration commonly heal and why?

Answer 13

Most of the time they should be healed by second intention

-because they are usually not a nice clean cut

Question 14

How would you treat a TEAT laceration?

Answer 14

• 2nd intention

- infusion needle to drain teat

Question 15

T/F: the mastitis infection rate increases by 50% with teat laceration

Answer 15

TRUE

Question 16

Which has a better prognosis. Vertical or horizontal teat lacerations?

Answer 16

Vertical has a better prognosis

-because of the blood supply

Question 17

What is really important when treating a teat laceration surgically?

Answer 17

You want to have a milk tight seal
-3 layer closure
(Mucosa, muscular cutaneous layer/submucosa, skin layer)

Question 18

What is a teat fistula?

Answer 18

Teat gets torn off, left with a fistula

Question 19

What can be used to drain the milk, when there is a teat laceration ?

Answer 19

TEAT cannula

-capped (to prevent mastitis)

Question 20

What might you suspect if you have a slow (hard) Miller?

-what should be done

Answer 20

Suspect masses inside the teat

-requires surgery (cornell teat curette/thelotomy)

Question 21

When would you put an implant into a teat?

Answer 21

To allow thelotomy to heal

Question 22

What is Mastectomy?

Answer 22

Complete amputation of the udder

• rare (cows with bad mastitis usually go to the abattoir)
• only really for cows with breeding potential