HOW TO HANDLE DYSTOCIA IN CATTLE IN THE FIELD CONDITION
Dystocia is a difficult birth, which requires help from the outside. Without the help of birth will fail and almost always followed the death of the parent animals and the kids. The opposite of etokia or distokia is an easy birth. Said dystocia (dysticia) derived from the Greek dys = difficult, tokos = birth, which means the difficulty of birth.
While etokia is a normal physiological birth, children born with ease and took place without any help, if you still need help, the help was very small.
Distokia incidence in cattle was estimated to 3.3% incidence in dairy cows more than beef and more frequently in the FH and Hereford. Dystocia more common in cattle that is always locked or caged compared with cows that released in the wild.
A.. Cause dystocia can come from children who are still in the womb and can also come from the parent. Common cause of children caused by abnormalities of the position and posture of the fetus is too large.
a. Abnormalities of the fetus position are:
1. Abnormalities of the location of the head as the neck bends left
2. Abnormality lies the head that leads to the chest
3. Abnormalities of the left front leg bent at the carpal
4. Abnormalities of the left and right carpal swelling
5. Swelling of the left shoulder disorder
6. Abnormalities of swelling of the right tarsus
7. Abnormalities of swelling in both hind legs
8. Swelling of the right hip abnormalities
9. Abnormalities of the posterior longitudinal, dorsoilialsinistra position and bending the left rear leg.
10. Abnormalities of the anterior longitudinal dorso position pubis
11. Abnormalities of the posterior longitudinal dorso position pubis
12. Dorsal transverse aberration, dextra ilial positions.
b. Abnormalities of the fetus posture
1. Fetal ascites
2. Tumors of the fetus
3. Enlargement of the body cavity
4. Fetal abnormalities and monsters
B. Narrowing or stenosis of the birth canal or in the way a normal fetus canal birth.
These factors include pelvic fracture, pelvic size is small due to the immature female body mating time narrowing cervix, female animals genitals due to growth or scar tissue, bone tumor in the pelvis, uterus, female animals genitals, torsion and multiple births.
This is usually caused by:
1. Because the offspring;
Heredity to be caused by dystocia males and the factors that bring hidden (recessive genes)
Abnormalities in the mother such as:
1. abnormalities in the shape of the pelvic cavity
2. abnormalities in the reproductive organs
3. the ugly traits (recessive genes) are passed down to his son as hydrocehalus, ankylosis (abnormalities in the joints), monstositas (monsters) like the three legs, two heads and so on.
2. Food and factors like
• Many heifers are mated too early. While the cow’s own body is not ready to accept the pregnancy.
• Excessive food, so the cow was too fat, resulting in many areas of fat deposits pelvic cavity, until the birth of a narrow road. Similarly, the cows are getting food that is not good so the growth of the child and parent health declined rapidly.
3. Traumatic factors / collisions.
Cows that were pregnant slip / fall can lead to some good effect on unborn child and to the parent. For example, due to slip / tumble can result in rotation of the uterus (uterine torsion), and can also occur in about pelvic pain to have distokia.
4. Disease factors.
The existence of inflammations of the reproductive tract such as endometritis so disturbed uterine contractions.
5. Other Causes
Other causes can be reviewed in terms of parent and child is the cause distokia for example:
• a comparison that does not fit between the size of the fetuses with pelvis cavity.
• presence of abnormal uterine anatomy
• an enlarged view of the fetus is not normal
• the location of abnormal fetuses at the time of the birth.
SIGNS DYSTOCIA
The location of the fetuses in the uterus:
Recognized two types within the uterus where the fetus / child while in the womb to be born through the birth. The location is the anterior view of the fetus or the location where the face and breech or posterior position.
1. The location of the anterior (front location)
Anterior location of the current location of the child in the womb to be born facing female animals genitals its parent, so if someone wanted to help children deal with the animals he front of the child, while the front legs and head of the child into the pelvic space, with the back leads parent.
2. The location of the posterior (breech position)
The location of the posterior location of the child in the womb in which both hind legs and tail into the pelvic space, with the back of the child leads the back parent. Neither the location nor the location of the breech face of this child will be born through the birth easier, with the help of a strong contraction of the stomach and the diaphragm chamber that concentrates together contraction. But despite this very strong force, but if the location of the fetuses in the womb is wrong, then the fetus will be very difficult birth, even more often than not born at all. This event is called dystocia.
The location of the breech face and the location mentioned above was entirely called etokia location. So the whole layout view of the fetus in the womb that deviate from the description of the location where the breech face and as mentioned above is called the location dystocia.
HANDLING DYSTOCIA
Procedures to Handle Obstetrical Cases
History:
As the preliminary examinations and preparations for handling the dystocia are being made
much of the histories are the outcome of questioning of the attendant, but many points also will be elicited from personal observation of the animal .
This information should include: the duration of gestation; the previous breeding history; the length of time the animal has been in active labor; what is the nature of straining-strong or weak, intermittent or regular, increasing or decreasing in frequency?
Has allantoic sac ruptured, the amniotic sac appeared at the vulva?. This information is useful and necessary for the intelligent examination and handling of dystocia .
In case of serious emergency, time may not permit the taking of a full case history but whenever possible this should be done . If the clinician is not already familiar with the client’s management style, it can be useful to gain a brief summary of previous dystocia cases and breeder management and information on the bull used for the mating period. To save time, much of this information can be extracted during conversation as the clinical evaluation proceeds. It is important to know how long the animal has been in labor . It is also important to determine whether parturition has started prematurely or is it at full term. The progress of the birth can be assessed from the duration and intensity of labor contraction, time of rupture of the fetal membranes and appearance of fetal parts at the vulva.
Physical Examination:
The general examination of the patient with dystocia include its physical condition whether it is thin and emaciated, too fat, or in good condition. If the animal is recumbent, the veterinarian should determine; is it able to rise or is it exhausted or is it affected with obturator paralysis. The pulse, temperature and respiration rate should be noted. In most
dystocia cases the pulse and respiration rate moderately elevated and the temperature may be slightly higher than normal due to the efforts at parturition Cows and heifers should be allowed a reasonable amount of time to spontaneously deliver their calves. If an adequate time off or the first or second stage of labor has been exceeded, examination is indicated. Heifers should be allowed a longer time for spontaneous delivery than is required in
pluriparous cows .
Knowing the normal parturition events is important to diagnose and treat any dystocia cases; so in preparatory stage or stage 1 that lasts from 2 to 6 hours, any calf rotates to upright position, uterine contractions begin and water sac expelled; while during delivery or stage 2 that lasts for one hour or less, a cow usually lying down, fetus enters birth canal, front feet protrude first and calf delivery completed. Caruncle-cotyledon attachments
relaxed and in cleaning or stage 3 that lasts from 2 to 8 hours, uterine contractions continue to expel the fetal membranes .
The nature of the vulvar discharge, whether it is watery, mucoid, blood, or fetid will often indicate the condition of the fetus. If much fresh blood is present, injury to the birth canal has probably occurred due to the intervention of the owner or someone else. The character
of the fetal membrane if hangings from the vulva are of further assistance in determining the condition of the fetus and the length of the time the dystocia has existed.
If a portion of a fetus protrudes from the vulva its condition and position and posture should be observed. The vulva itself should be noted to gain information on the amount of edema or trauma present as an indication of the length of time the dystocia has existed .
Fetal movement should be noticed at the cow’s left flank and if this is vigorous, it indicates the placental separation which causes fetal anoxia and hyper motility.
After rupture of amnion, the fetus is examined with the hand to determine its presentation, position and posture undertaken only after the animal has been properly restrained, as the obstetrical operations usually follow immediately after this examination. In range cattle a well- constructed chute is desirable, or cows might be fastened securely with a rope halter in corner of a large box stall. If they kick, a nose lead will often divert their attention .
Animals may be particularly aggressive and potentially very dangerous at parturition and obstetricians must ensure their own safety and that of the owners, attendants and assistants while the patient is being examined and treated .The animal’s external genitalia
and the surrounding structures should be washed thoroughly with mild antiseptics. The tail should be held to one side by an assistant or tied with a tail rope over the back to the opposite elbow. The operator should wash and lubricate his arms with antiseptic before making an examination of the birth canal and fetus .
When feet are only presented, then to determine if they are front or hind limbs. Front feet have 4 joints that flex in the same direction (Coffin, pastern, fetlock and carpus) before the elbow goes the opposite direction. The hind limb has only 3 joints that flex in the same direction (Coffin, pastern, fetlock) before the hock goes in the other direction. If the legs are front legs, make sure they are from the same calf by tracing them back to the same body by finding the head . If the history of the case leads the examiner to know or suspect that others have been examining and attempting to relieve the dystocia, it is extremely important that the birth canal and caudal portions of the uterus be examined carefully for evidence of trauma . Dystocia is treated to save the life of the dam and the calf and to maintain her future fertility.
Assistance Required:
Ideally the VET should have the help of three assistants. One to manage the head of the dam and two to assist with fetal delivery at her rear end and to prevent the cow from swinging her rear end around during examination and treatment If the operation is to be carried out on the standing cow, one attendant will be required to restrain the cow, but if a
recumbent position is chosen then at least two experienced assistants will be necessary. Although cesarean section (CS) can be carried out single handed but a skilled surgical assistance in the form of a colleague or veterinary nurse makes the procedure both simpler and safer.
Obstetrical Operations
Mutation:
It is defined as the process by which a fetus is
restorted to normal presentation, position and posture by
repulsion, rotation, version, or extension of extremities
Abnormalities of fetal posture generally are easier to
correct when the dam is standing. After the veterinarian
has brought each part of the fetus into its normal posture,
the cause of dystocia is usually relieved and the fetus will
be expelled normally, or parturition aided or completed by
traction If mutation cannot be completed in 15 to 30
minutes, an alternate method for delivery should be
selected
Repulsion:
Repulsion, sometimes called retropulsion,
consists of pushing the fetus out of the maternal pelvis or
birth canal into the abdominal cavity and uterus, where
space is available for the correction of the position or
posture of the fetus and its extremities. It is usually
necessary because the birth canal or pelvic cavity is so
narrow and so confining that it is impossible to correct
deviations in position or posture without providing more
room in which to manipulate the fetus or its long
extremities. Repulsion may be accomplished by the
operator’s arm, the arm of an assistant, or by crutch
repeller. Repulsion is difficult or impossible in the
recumbent animal resting on its sternum, as the abdominal
viscera are pushing the fetus back toward the pelvis. If
the animal is recumbent it should be laid on its side with its four legs extended .The fetus and birth canal must
be well lubricated and 3 to 5 litter of a water-based
lubricant can be gently introduced around the fetus
through a stomach tube by a means of a pump. It may be
necessary to abolish abdominal straining with an epidural
anesthetic, but the expulsive efforts of the dam will not
subsequently be available for delivery of the fetus. Care
should be exercised in repelling a fetus, because uterine
rupture may result from excessive pressure .
Rotation:
It is defined as turning the fetus on its
longitudinal axis to bring it from dorso-ilial or dorso-pubic
position to dorso-sacral position. Partial rotation also is
an essential component of the routine vaginal delivery
technique to ensure that the fetal hips enter the maternal
pelvis on a diagonal. In many cases, rotation can be
accomplished by the hand and arm of the operator. By
grasping the humerus of the ventral limb near the
shoulder joint, the operator lifts the fetus upward and
medially. Alternatively, the fetal limbs can be crossed and
rotational force applied to bring the fetus to dorso-sacral
position. In difficult cases, use of detorsion rod may be
necessary, but excessive force may result in injury to the
dam and the fetus should be avoided
Extension:
It refers to the extension of flexed joints when postural defects are present. It is carried out by applying force to the end of the displaced extremity so that it is brought through an arc of a circle to the entrance of the pelvis. The force is applied preferably by hand or, failing that, by snare or hook
Version:
It is defined as the rotation of the fetus on its
transverse axis into an anterior or posterior presentation
It is usually limited to 90 degrees and attempts to
convert caudal presentation to cranial presentation are
not likely to be successful and will commonly result in
uterine tears
Delivery by Extraction:
It is the withdrawal of the fetus
from the dam through the birth canal by means of the
application of outside force or traction . The application
of external force is used to pull the presented parts of the
fetus and for supporting, or replacing the maternal force.
Such force is applied by hand or through the medium of
snares or hooks. Limb-snares are fixed above the fetlocks
and the head snares may be applied by which the loop is
placed in the mouth and up over the poll and behind both
ears with leaving both ends of the rope protruding from
the vagina. A very important consideration is a magnitude of the supplementary force which may be used, since
excessive force inappropriately applied can cause several
traumas to dam and fetus. In the cow, it is felt that well
coordinated pull of four average persons should be the
limit . In posterior presentation traction may be applied
to the fetal pastern or above the hook by the use of
obstetrical chains
Post Delivery Care After care of mother:
Although the main responsibility
for this rests with the patient’s owner, the obstetrician
must ensure that mother and young are well after delivery
and advice on specific aspects of their care if appropriate
Neonatal Care:
An animal care taker who is aware of the
challenges to the survival of the neonates will likely take
steps to increase the chance of survival. The respiratory
passages should be checked for pieces of placental
membrane or mucus that could prevent respiration. In cold
weather, the newborn should be dried and if possible
placed in a clean, dry shelter. In the summer, a shade will
be beneficial to survival The first meal is very
important for the health of the calf and feeding of
colostrum is essential within five hours of birth . If the
newborn has not nursed within the first hour, it should be
assisted in obtaining a meal of colostrum to provide him
by both nutrients and antibodies. If the mother died
during parturition, colostrum from another female of the
same species should be provided. Normal milk will provide
most needed nutrients, but will not contain the needed
antibodies . For the first couple of days: remove the
placenta so that the cow cannot eat it; allow the cow to
lick the calf dry . In dystocia cases, it is necessary to
wipe the mucus from the nostrils to permit breathing; or,
more rarely yet, artificial respiration methods may have to
be applied to some calves. This may be done by blowing
in to the mouth and permitting the calf to fall gently. To
lessen the danger of infection, the navel cord of the new
born calf should be treated at once with a 2% solution of
tincture of iodine or other strong alcoholic drink will
do if there is nothing else.
Post Natal Check of the Cow:
After delivery of the calf
the uterus must always be checked for evidence of
another fetus. The birth canal is checked for signs of
damage and hemorrhage. Uterine involution usually
commences immediately after the birth of the calf. If
uterine tone feels low (the uterine walls are flabby) 20 IU
of oxytocin should be given by intramuscular injection.
The udder is checked again for signs of mastitis.
Prevention and Control:
As with all diseases and
disorders, veterinarians should be endeavoring to prevent
and reduce the incidence of dystocia Foeto-maternal
disproportion is one of the major contributors to dystocia
and this can be prevented with proper reproductive
management. Because heifers are generally smaller than
cows, they have an increased risk of dystocia. The size of
heifers at breeding should average 66 percent of their
mature weight, with a minimum of 60 percent The
National Association of Animal Breeders (NAAB)
publishes genetic evaluations for Holstein AI sires
ranking them for the ease with which their calves are born
and for heifers feed them to calve with adequate size at 24
months and cows so they are in good flesh to calve once
each year but not over conditioned, give the cow
adequate time to prepare for delivery, observe strict
sanitation procedures when examining a cow, provide
detailed and attentive neonatal calf care . Heifers
should calve with at least a BCS (Body condition scoring)
of 5 or greater. Heifer pelvis assessment can be carried out
to select replacements for the herd. Those heifers with a
small pelvic area before the breeding season may then be
culled or selectively mated to easy calving bulls and those
with a small pelvic area at the time of pregnancy
examination may be aborted, culled, or identified for
careful observation at calving. Sires can be selected
for ease of calving and estimated birth weights .
Recommended ages and weight of different breed heifers are 15-18 month and and 341-386.5 kg for both Holstein and Brown Swiss, 14-17 month and 295.5-341kg for Ayrshire and 14-17 month and 250-295.5kg body weight for Jersey .
Cows and heifers should be fed to give birth in
suitable body condition neither being thin nor fat because
fat cows tend to experience more calving problems .
Restricting food in the late stages of pregnancy does not
prevent a large calf and leads to a weak labour and
increased dystocia rates and adequate exercise is good
especially at late pregnancy. Not all dystocia can be
prevented, such as mal-presentations and early
intervention is paramount in ensuring a live birth. Farm
workers need to be trained to deal with a dystocia and
recognize when further help is needed. A delay in
assisting may mean the loss of the calf or injury and even
death of the cow.
Dr Ashutosh Mishra, TVO, Jahanabad,Bihar.
Reference-On request.
Management of Dystocia due to Fetal Ascites in Non-Descript Cattle- A case Report
