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Uterine prolapse in a cow is a rather serious complication, which mainly appears after calving. It is not recommended to perform the adjustment on your own; it is better to use the help of an experienced specialist.
Causes of uterine prolapse in cows
Loss in cattle is difficult to treat. More often, heifers and older individuals suffer from this pathology. The reasons for loss can be varied. However, they all come down to improper care.
Uterine prolapse in cows before calving
It is believed that such pathology appears quite rarely before calving. Reasons: weak muscle tissue, age of the individual (too young or old cow), various infections, multiple pregnancies, too early onset of contractions.
If by this time the calf has already formed, then you can try to save it. The diseased organ of the cow is reduced, if this is still possible, or amputated.
Uterine prolapse in a cow after calving
This complication also has various causes:
- lack of active exercise;
- illiterate fetal extraction;
- lack of proper care for a pregnant cow;
- multiple births;
- rapid labor;
- retention of placenta;
- hydrops of fetal membranes;
- presence of infectious diseases.
Calving complications can occur when the cow's calcium levels are low (hypocalcemia) because calcium affects muscle tone.
Pathogenesis of uterine prolapse in cows
Uterine prolapse in a cow is a displacement in which the organ is completely or partially turned outward by the mucous membrane.
The prolapse is accompanied by heavy bleeding, friability and swelling of the diseased organ. Over time, its color darkens significantly, it becomes covered with cracks and wounds. Most often, prolapse occurs immediately after calving, when the cervix is still dilated. This contributes to organ prolapse. The main cause of this pathology is flabby muscle tissue.
Sometimes the pathology is accompanied by prolapse of part of the rectum, bladder and vagina.
What to do if a cow has a prolapsed uterus
If a cow's uterus has popped out, the best thing the owner can do for the animal is to call a specialist.
While the veterinarian is on the road, the owner can carry out some preparatory activities. First of all, it is necessary to position the animal in such a way that its back (that is, the croup) is slightly higher than the head.
Then you can clear the space around the cow of unnecessary objects and rinse the room of dirt and dust. You also need to rinse the organ yourself from the placenta, having previously prepared a bucket of water with a manganese solution for this.You need to wash it carefully, avoiding unnecessary injury.
Before the doctor arrives, it is advisable to prepare everything you may need: antiseptics, disposable droppers, syringes, as well as clean, sterile tissues.
Treatment of uterine prolapse in a cow
Since prolapse is a common pathology, the cow should not be left alone after calving. She must remain under observation for some time. It happens that even after a very successful calving, organ prolapse occurs.
The video of a cow's uterine prolapse will help you understand what help is needed.
The prolapsed uterus looks like a kind of rounded mass. Sometimes it drops below the hock joint. The mucous membrane swells when it falls out and is easily injured, cracking when it dries. After a certain time, it becomes inflamed and signs of necrosis begin. If you do not help the animal at this moment, gangrene and sepsis usually develop.
Anesthesia must be administered before reduction. Then you need to wash the organ with a cold solution of manganese or tannin. If foci of necrotic inflammation are noticeable, then you need to use a warm solution. Dead parts of the mucous membrane are treated with iodine. To reduce the volume of the prolapsed organ, it is tied with bandages. For the same purpose, the veterinarian injects oxytocin into the cavity. Large wounds on the organ are stitched with catgut.
After such careful preparation, the reduction begins. First, you need to wrap a sterile towel around your hand. Next, with careful movements, the top of the uterine horn is pushed forward. After reduction, you need to hold the uterus in the cavity for some time, smoothing its mucous membrane with your fist.
Often, after repositioning the uterus, a cow develops endometritis, an inflammatory disease of the inner layer of the mucous membrane (endometrium). This disease is treated comprehensively, using antibiotics.
If the uterus is severely damaged and susceptible to necrosis, then in order to save the animal’s life, the organ is amputated.
Prevention of uterine prolapse in cattle
Prevention of hair loss consists of proper preparation for calving:
- before calving, at a certain time, it is necessary to stop lactation so that the cow’s body is ready for childbirth;
- it is necessary to reconsider the animal’s diet - switch to hay, and then to forage;
- reduce the amount of fluid consumed;
- Before calving, you need to prepare a separate, disinfected stall;
- The first or complicated pregnancy is a reason for a veterinarian to be present during calving.
In addition, it is important to monitor the cow’s diet before pregnancy. Daily exercise and timely vaccination of the livestock against various infections are also necessary.
Causes and treatment of uterine torsion in cows
Torsion of the uterus is a rotation around the axis of the entire organ, horn or section of the horn.
Torsion may occur due to the anatomical features of the fixing section of the uterus. In cows during pregnancy, it moves down and slightly forward. The bundles of horns are directed upward and somewhat backward. This position can lead to the fact that the part of the uterus that is not fixed laterally moves to one side. At the same time, her body, neck, and part of the vagina are twisted.
Twisting is not accompanied by specific symptoms. In most cases, they are similar to pathology of the gastrointestinal tract. The cow is restless and has no appetite.During a rectal examination, the folds of the uterus can be clearly felt. In this case, one of them is tightly stretched, the other is free. When diagnosing, it is important to determine in which direction the twisting occurred. Subsequent care for the animal will depend on this.
The main reasons for such twisting are sudden movements of the cow, exercise on steep slopes, and long movement of the herd. With this pathology, the cow loses appetite, becomes restless, and breathes heavily. The fetus does not come out during calving, despite attempts.
At calving, when the twisting side is precisely set, twisting is done in the opposite direction. At the same time, an oil solution is poured into the cavity.
You can untwist the uterus by throwing the cow on its back and sharply turning the animal around its axis in the direction in which the twisting occurred. Thus, the uterus remains in place, and the body, unwinding, allows it to take the correct position.
Sometimes such procedures have to be repeated until the pathology is eliminated.
Types of uterine pathologies:
- Uterine volvulus in cows. It can be eliminated by carefully turning the animal around its axis. You can also return the organ to its original position by inserting your hand into the neck.
- Bend of the uterus in a cow. Pathology is observed when the organ is displaced under the pelvic bones. When providing assistance, you should lay the cow on its side, then turn it over onto its back. As a rule, after this the fetus takes the correct position.
The uterus can be corrected without compromising the health of the animal with minor pathology. If the twist is complete, the calf dies and the cow's health deteriorates significantly.
Conclusion
Uterine prolapse in a cow is a serious pathology, often with an unfavorable prognosis for the animal.The owner needs to understand that it will not be possible to cope with the pathology on his own, so he needs to take care of professional help from a qualified veterinarian.
They fixed it, sewed it up, the cow still strains and everything falls out between the seams. What should I do to stop pushing? Now let's go get some oxytocin and we'll inject it.