Bovine Regulatory Tasks

Question 1

What are methods of official identification?

Answer 1

• brucellosis tag/Bang’s tag (orange tag)
• metal tag
• RFID tag
• microchip (horses and camelids)

Question 2

The first two numbers in a brucellosis tag indicate what?

Answer 2

the state that animal originated in

Question 3

Why are ear notches used in bovine?

Answer 3

indicates testing for bovine diarrhea virus (BVD)

Question 4

What species uses ear notches as an identification tool?

Answer 4

swine

Question 5

What is the preferred method of dehorning/disbudding?

Answer 5

through genetics and breeding to produce polled animals

Question 6

What is disbudding?

Answer 6

removal of horn producing cells prior to skull attachment

Question 7

What methods are used for disbudding?

Answer 7

• electric or gas cautery
• caustic paste
• button dehorner

Question 8

What is dehorning?

Answer 8

removal or excision of the horn after skull attachment

Question 9

What methods are used for dehorning?

Answer 9

• Barnes dehorner
• keystone dehorner
• wire saw

Question 10

When does attachment of horns to the skull occur in cattle?

Answer 10

8 weeks of age

Question 11

When does attachment of horns to the skull occur in goats?

Answer 11

2-3 weeks of age

Question 12

What nerve block is used for dehorning/disbudding?

Answer 12

cornual nerve block

Question 13

What drug is used for a cornual nerve block?

Answer 13

lidocaine

Question 14

How long does a cornual nerve block last?

Answer 14

30-120 minutes

Question 15

What is the toxic dose of lidocaine in cattle?

Answer 15

10mg/kg

Question 16

What is the toxic dose of lidocaine in goats?

Answer 16

5mg/kg

Question 17

What can be done to lidocaine to give it more volume for injection?

Answer 17

dilute lidocaine in saline

Question 18

Describe the use of button dehorner or electric/cautery dehorning.

Answer 18

• used in calves less than 8 weeks of age or goats less than 3 weeks of age
• want a copper color
• apply iron for about 10-15 seconds total for each horn bud in cattle
• apply iron for 3-4 seconds, let cool (or ice pack), then repeat for each side until copper color achieved in goats

Question 19

Describe the use of a Barnes dehorner.

Answer 19

• want to take a ring of hair around the base of the horn
• want to press down with tool while cutting
• one swift motion to get a clean cut
  may need to pull arteries or cauterize after cutting
• typically used in calves 2-7 months of age

Question 20

Describe the use of a wire saw for dehorning.

Answer 20

• cut as close to base of horn as possible
• typically cauterizes small vessels as cutting
• use for horns too big for Barnes dehorner or for horns curved too much for other instruments

Question 21

Why are keystone dehorners not typically used?

Answer 21

• very heavy
• can become a weapon if cow is not sufficiently restrained

Question 22

What should you take care not to damage during castration?

Answer 22

penis

Question 23

What pain relief can be provided for castration?

Answer 23

• NSAIDs via injection or pour on
• local blocks

Question 24

What local blocks can be used for castration?

Answer 24

• testicular block
• spermatic cord block

Question 25

What tools can be used for castration?

Answer 25

- scalpel - Newberry knife - callicrate bander - elastrator bander - emasculatome

Question 26

What are the bloodless methods of castration?

Answer 26

- elastrator bander - callicrate bander - emasculatome/burdizzo tool

Question 27

Which bander is commonly used in baby calves (less than 3 weeks) and lambs (less than 4 months)?

Answer 27

elastrator bander

Question 28

What bander is used for bigger bulls?

Answer 28

callicrate bander

Question 29

Why do we want to put lambs in dorsal recumbency or sitting position when using an elastrator bander for castration?

Answer 29

less likely to get the urethra in the band in this position

Question 30

How long does it take for testicles to fall off once banded?

Answer 30

3-6 weeks

Question 31

Describe the use of an emasculatome/burdizzo tool for bloodless castration.

Answer 31

- total of 4 crush sites (2 on each spermatic cord about 1cm apart) - want to hold each crush about 20 seconds

Question 32

What are the disadvantages of using an emasculatome/burdizzo tool for bloodless castration?

Answer 32

- unreliable - time consuming - must recheck 4-6 weeks post procedure t make sure testicles are becoming atrophied

Question 33

What are the surgical methods of opening the scrotum for castration?

Answer 33

- scalpel (remove bottom 1/3 to 1/2 of scrotum) - newberry knife

Question 34

What are the surgical methods of removing testicles during castration?

Answer 34

- gentle pull (calves less than 400 pounds) - henderson tool (calves over 400 pounds) - emasculator (more common in horses)

Question 35

Describe the gentle pull method of removing testicles on calves less than 400 pounds.

Answer 35

hold testicle in dominant hand with steady traction while stripping fascia with non-dominant hand; will feel the cord "give" twice, then pull testicle out of scrotum

Question 36

Describe Henderson tool placement and use for castration.

Answer 36

- curve of the instrument to cup the curve of the testicle - spin drill slowly for about 10 revolutions then spin drill at top speed until testicle is removed

Question 37

Why do we not pull on the drill when using henderson tool for castration?

Answer 37

this will cause the spermatic cord to break more proximal and the animal will bleed more

Question 38

Describe how to use an emasculator for castration.

Answer 38

- open scrotum with scalpel or newberry knife - strip spermatic cord of fat and fascia - place instrument proximal to testicle (with the nut of instrument toward the testicle); this will ensure that you are cutting the cord below the clamping site) - clamp the instrument and hold for 15-20 seconds

Question 39

When using bloodless methods of castration, an animal should always receive what at time of castration?

Answer 39

tetanus vaccine

Question 40

When performing surgical castration during fly season what should be applied to surgical site?

Answer 40

fly repellant