Urogenital Surgery Male Flashcards
why do we castrate cows?
decreases sexual activity in the feedlot (riding), eliminates unwanted inferior genetics, decreases aggression towards humans and herd mates, improves meat quality (higher grade, less energy to muscle, fatten quicker)
when do we castrate and why?
usually at birth OR at branding
this minimizes pain and distress when theyre less than 1 week old, surgery gets more complciated with age, it’s easier to restrain them, it’s safer
the older the animal, the more pain and distress
do NOT do it at weaning or arrival–>too much stress
if a cow is crypt, which testicle do you remove firs
the crypt one or dont castrate them
true or false: banding for castration is better done when cows are younger, and surgical castration is better done when cows are a little older
true!
what is the difference between an open and a closed castration
open–>pareital vaginal tunic is opened and testicular ligament ruptures
closed–>pareital vaginal tunic intact, blunt dissection/stripping fascia to spermatic cord
closed is more common
why is vaccine status important to know before castrating?
they can get tetanus hehe
what are some ways to provide anesthesia and alagesia for castration?
testicular blocks–>inject into the testicle until you feel resistance. use 3 mls per testicle in calves and 10mls per testicle in older cows
can do an epidural with xylazine or xylazine + lidocaine
NSAIDs–>meloxicam lasts the longest but can also do flunixin or ketoprofen
list non surgical ways to castrate
banding, burdizzo, and immunocastration
what is the burdizzo method of castrating?
considered the least painful method but it’s not common anymore. essentially you crush the spermatic cord through the scrotal skin. doesn’t disrupt blood supply to the scrotum so the scrotum doesn’t slough.
why is burdizzo technique not common anymore even though it is least painful?
high failure rate, requires equipment maintenance, you need different sizes for different ages, there is an age limit (2-4months), and each crush needs to be placed for 10 seconds
pros and cons of banding technique?
there’s no pain initially and it’s considered non surgical, BUT: there’re more chronic pain and can cause pain for up to 8 weeks, will cause decreased gain for 3-4 weeks, and causes ischemic necrosis (risk of tetanus).
proper way to place a band?
placed just above both testicles and the bands should be less than a year old (old ones break), and they need to be tight enough!
calves: use the tribander/elastrator which is low tension
any age: high tension??? slides are unclear
pros and cons of doing surgical castration?
pros: fast healing, post op pain is only 1-2 weeks
cons: high degree of surgical pain, need alalgesia and maybe antibiotics, need to consider the environment (dirty pens)
different ways you can make a scrotal incision?
with a scalpel or with a newberry knife
different ways to do “pulling” after making scrotal incision?
by hand: best in young calves, strip the cord and apply slow traction
henderson castration tool: expose and strip the cord and can be done in animals up to 1200 lbs, less hemorrhage?
proper way to do emasculation?
after youve exposed and stripped the spermatic cords, apply any emasculator and maintain pressure for 30-45 seconds. can put in a ligature. Remove any tissue hanging from the scrotum via traction and avoid sharp dissection.
what are some common complications with castration?
excessive hemorrhage–>can ligateg, pack,or clamp
swelling->if severe can give antibiotics and NSAIDs and make sure drainage is established
evisceration–>more common in mature bulls
tetanus–>with banding usually
true or false: cryptorchidism is common in cattle
false! it is uncommon in cattle and most are extrabdominal.
how do you fix a cryptorchid cow?
thiscard makes no sense I gotta fix it!!!!!can sedate them and ligate the cord with absorbable suture and then close the incision and leave it open to drain. OR you can just keep the cow in tact and send it to market
which side tends to be crypt in cows
the left
explain how immunocastration works, pros and cons
it is the use of anti GnRH vaccines.
pros: animal welfare is better, better carcass quality and weight
cons: safety, accidental self injection affects fertility in men and women, you need multiple injections and response is variable, not available in canada
what is the lay term for obstructive urolithiasis?clinical signs?
water belly–>urine leaking from a ruptured urehtra
C/S: off feed, posture to urinate bowing, vocalization, base wide stance, colic, bruxism, elevation of tail head, pear shaped body contour, could have positive succussion, ventral/scrotal/preputial edema
top DDX in males with colic is
obstructive urolithiasis
list some risk factors for obstructive urolithiasis
mineral imbalances: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicate
water: supply and quality, salt?
anatomy, early castration (making urethra smaller?), season (water access)
a cow named JERRY comes to you and hes off feed, is standing with a wide stance, and has a pear shaped body contour. You suspect ____ and want to do which diagnostic tests?
obstructive urolithiasis
A full PE, examine the penis, rectal palp, ultrasound (look at the bladder and for free fluid), auscultation and succussion, abdominocentesis (peritoneal:serum creatinine ratio of >2:1 is diagnostic or uroperitoneum), CBC chem will show: hemoconcentration, axotemia, hyperkalemia
where do stones tend to get stuck
sigmoid flexure
how are you going to treat JERRY with the urinary stones
we gotta remove the stone and allow urine excretion, we gotta treat the hyperkalemia, and address any cellulitis!
calcium gluconate to protect the heart, NSAIDs for pain and inflammation, and 0.9% NaCl if the animals are low on sodium or chloride
with a blocked urethra, which components stay in the urine (or possible abdomen) and which stay in extracellular fluid?
in the urine: sodium, chloride, water
in the extracellular fluid: urea, creatinine, potassium
what is one sequelae to a ruptured urehtra or bladder that you want to address?
urethral strictures->reoccurrance of blocks
what kind of surgery can you do as a last resort for obstructive urolithiasis
perineal urethrostomy , or penectomy
how do you prepare the cow for surgery of the penis and urethra AKA DICK SURGERY HEEHEE
internal pudendal nerve block: causes penile relaxation and analgesia distal to the signoid flexure, gets the prepuce, but difficult to do
epidural: anesthesia of the perineum but NOT the prepuce, easier to do
can also do local blocks which are easy as well as systemic anesthesia with something like acepromazine
the only option when a urethra is rupture is
a perineal urethrostomy
how do you do a perineal urethrostomy
make a midline incision where the perineum starts to go cranial directly over the penis and then use blunt dissection to isolate the penis. expose the penis and retractor muscles, then transect the ischiocavernosus muscles at their insertion on the ischial arch. then from here you have 2 options (covered on a different card)
compare penile amputation and spatulation of the urethra
penile amputation: least difficult and most common, essentially you’re cutting the penis and then redirecting it backwards, making the cow pee/drain out the back. the distal penis is left unless it’s necrotic.
spatulation of the urethea: harder to do but a better prognosis, essentially opening the ureathra to the world to let it drain, looks like a canoe shape
