Post by robynsa on Jun 12, 2014 7:50:30 GMT -5
Edit to my OP below in case anyone ever searches for C Sections:
This is a post about a heifer having a C section after we tried unsuccessfully to pull the calf.
Heifer went into active labour at 08:45 in the pasture. After an hour of no progress (straining but the water sack was visible just inside her vulva and not moving at all) I washed up and went in. I could feel a head and two hooves about 10cm inside. I called the vet who advised that I should get ropes onto the feet behind the dew claws and pull HARD in time with contractions. I struggled to get the ropes to stay put (soft ski rope DOES NOT work) and when I got it tight I couldn't get any positive movement. After trying for 5 minutes I called the vet to come out.
Vet arrived within half an hour at 10:47. Quickly administered epidural and tried to turn calf around. Cow was too tired to stay up and vet was having a really hard time working with her lying down. Tried to pull using thinner nylon rope. Decided to do C section 11:35. C Section involved local anaesthetic, 3 people holding the cow in position on her brisket. Cut her open, moved the (mostly empty) rumen out of the way and lifted the uterus as I pushed the calf as far back into the uterus as I could (the whole length of my arm). The moving of the rumen and getting the calf up to the incision took a very long time. My vet is a big strong guy but he really struggled against gravity. Once he got the uterus up and was holding it in place another vet made the incision into the uterus. They turned calf and pulled him out back legs first at 12:08. They took some placenta out and pushed some back in.
I dried calf who was already starting to stand and they then stitched up. All the while cow laid very still - which is very important as if they decide to get up with the rumen out, it's likely a death sentence. 12:47 they finished stitching and she was up.
She got 2 different types of antibiotics, an anti inflammatory and a painkiller (all long acting). Mother rejected calf off the bat and calf is a bit oxygen deprived but is doing great. Care regime is to keep the incision fly free but to otherwise let cow continue as normal with grazing and herd life. And to let vet know if she expresses a lot of pain. So far she is doing very well - eating (hay and alfalfa pellets with a liberal amount of molasses), drinking, looking pretty good.
Lesson learnt - it would have been a lot quicker and easier if we had a way to keep her on her feet. We need to get some sort of cow lift in place. Also, calf was too big, if he was smaller she would have been fine calving normally. Always check calving ease stats of bulls (this was a breeding from a bull we slaughtered last year and I didn't think this heifer was bred by him). And - don't trust that the cow will know what to do with the baby. Supervised feedings are a must - or bottling the calf if necessary. Our cow is slowly accepting him but we're supervising. Make sure the teat plugs are out before trying to get the calf on.
Here's the OP:
Ok..... not sure if this classifies as a 911 and I'm not truly panicky (perhaps just a little bit), but I'd sure appreciate some input.
Without even a stitch of warning, Blenda (2yo first calf Dexter heifer) went into labour this morning. I'd expected her to go another few months.
Long story short - we C sectioned after we (myself initially then my vet) could not get the calf out despite turning him around, ropes with 3 strong men pulling, etc. He was initially breech, then just too big. So he came out the sunroof.
Mama wants nothing to do with him. I can understand why, and I've made sure he's had a couple of hours of nursing while I've stood by and made sure she isn't barging or kicking him. She is producing colostrum, teats are great, and it took hardly any effort at all for me to milk a bit out.
Now onto the calf - he was on his feet in minutes. Even the vet was surprised. He was up far quicker than Chuck and Mr. T were. He has LEGS. And not much voice. But a great suck reflex, and he is working at the udder. His tongue sticks out a bit and he crab-walks a bit but his balance is excellent and he is STRONG.
They are currently in a stall. Mamma has eaten a bin of lucerne and molasses and seems fine. But she doesn't like him one bit.
Recommendations? I could, if needed, milk colostrum out and bottle him, but I really don't want to do that if I can help it. Will Mamma get with the programme? She's not being horribly mean or vicious, but she's kicking him off unless I'm there and she's "challenging" him if he approaches head on. She's not going all out to flatten him though. No mamma-moo'ing at all, though she was when she was initially in labour and got up to smell some fluid.
He was born about 3 hours ago.
TIA.
This is a post about a heifer having a C section after we tried unsuccessfully to pull the calf.
Heifer went into active labour at 08:45 in the pasture. After an hour of no progress (straining but the water sack was visible just inside her vulva and not moving at all) I washed up and went in. I could feel a head and two hooves about 10cm inside. I called the vet who advised that I should get ropes onto the feet behind the dew claws and pull HARD in time with contractions. I struggled to get the ropes to stay put (soft ski rope DOES NOT work) and when I got it tight I couldn't get any positive movement. After trying for 5 minutes I called the vet to come out.
Vet arrived within half an hour at 10:47. Quickly administered epidural and tried to turn calf around. Cow was too tired to stay up and vet was having a really hard time working with her lying down. Tried to pull using thinner nylon rope. Decided to do C section 11:35. C Section involved local anaesthetic, 3 people holding the cow in position on her brisket. Cut her open, moved the (mostly empty) rumen out of the way and lifted the uterus as I pushed the calf as far back into the uterus as I could (the whole length of my arm). The moving of the rumen and getting the calf up to the incision took a very long time. My vet is a big strong guy but he really struggled against gravity. Once he got the uterus up and was holding it in place another vet made the incision into the uterus. They turned calf and pulled him out back legs first at 12:08. They took some placenta out and pushed some back in.
I dried calf who was already starting to stand and they then stitched up. All the while cow laid very still - which is very important as if they decide to get up with the rumen out, it's likely a death sentence. 12:47 they finished stitching and she was up.
She got 2 different types of antibiotics, an anti inflammatory and a painkiller (all long acting). Mother rejected calf off the bat and calf is a bit oxygen deprived but is doing great. Care regime is to keep the incision fly free but to otherwise let cow continue as normal with grazing and herd life. And to let vet know if she expresses a lot of pain. So far she is doing very well - eating (hay and alfalfa pellets with a liberal amount of molasses), drinking, looking pretty good.
Lesson learnt - it would have been a lot quicker and easier if we had a way to keep her on her feet. We need to get some sort of cow lift in place. Also, calf was too big, if he was smaller she would have been fine calving normally. Always check calving ease stats of bulls (this was a breeding from a bull we slaughtered last year and I didn't think this heifer was bred by him). And - don't trust that the cow will know what to do with the baby. Supervised feedings are a must - or bottling the calf if necessary. Our cow is slowly accepting him but we're supervising. Make sure the teat plugs are out before trying to get the calf on.
Here's the OP:
Ok..... not sure if this classifies as a 911 and I'm not truly panicky (perhaps just a little bit), but I'd sure appreciate some input.
Without even a stitch of warning, Blenda (2yo first calf Dexter heifer) went into labour this morning. I'd expected her to go another few months.
Long story short - we C sectioned after we (myself initially then my vet) could not get the calf out despite turning him around, ropes with 3 strong men pulling, etc. He was initially breech, then just too big. So he came out the sunroof.
Mama wants nothing to do with him. I can understand why, and I've made sure he's had a couple of hours of nursing while I've stood by and made sure she isn't barging or kicking him. She is producing colostrum, teats are great, and it took hardly any effort at all for me to milk a bit out.
Now onto the calf - he was on his feet in minutes. Even the vet was surprised. He was up far quicker than Chuck and Mr. T were. He has LEGS. And not much voice. But a great suck reflex, and he is working at the udder. His tongue sticks out a bit and he crab-walks a bit but his balance is excellent and he is STRONG.
They are currently in a stall. Mamma has eaten a bin of lucerne and molasses and seems fine. But she doesn't like him one bit.
Recommendations? I could, if needed, milk colostrum out and bottle him, but I really don't want to do that if I can help it. Will Mamma get with the programme? She's not being horribly mean or vicious, but she's kicking him off unless I'm there and she's "challenging" him if he approaches head on. She's not going all out to flatten him though. No mamma-moo'ing at all, though she was when she was initially in labour and got up to smell some fluid.
He was born about 3 hours ago.
TIA.