Farm Animal Emergency Patients

Question 1

What is a “true” emergency?

Answer 1

Urgent (e.g. rapid deterioration / fatality without immediate intervention).
Severe (e.g. potentially fatal / significant welfare implications).
Based on client perception.

Question 2

1. Give examples of farm animal emergencies.
2. Give examples of farm animal circumstances that require urgent visits.

Answer 2

1. Haemorrhage (milk vein), hypomagnesaemia, rumen tympany (bloat), airway obstruction, toxin ingestion.
2. Calving/prolapse, toxaemia (down cow), hypocalcaemia (down cow), toxin ingestion.

Question 3

Information to gain / questions to ask on on-farm triage.

Answer 3

Main complaint, progression.
Stage of lactation / how long calved / was the calving eventful? – assisted? standing at the time?
Signs?
How long been down?
Any treatment given already?

Question 4

What to do on on-farm triage.

Answer 4

Rapid assessment and exam to establish if anything needs immediate stabilisation.
– Distant observation i.e. is she in lateral recumbency?
– First aid e.g. is there haemorrhage to be stopped, airway to be cleared, bloat to be corrected.
– Then TPR.

Question 5

Primary survey.

Answer 5

Bovine clinical exam.
Consider a focus due to presenting complaint.
Supportive therapy and look for response.
– Fluids – IV.
– Anti-endotoxic e.g. flunixin.
– Nursing care.

Question 6

What are the clinical signs of endotoxemia?

Answer 6

• Cold extremities.
• Congested MMs.
• Sunken eyes.
• Tachycardia.
• Weakness / collapse.

Question 7

Sample collections in primary survey.

Answer 7

Blood.
– Biochemistry / haematology.
– Cow side tests e.g. for ketones may direct supportive treatment.
Milk sample?

Question 8

Secondary survey.

Answer 8

Communicate an expected response to treatment in terms of time frame and symptoms based on the treatment administered.
Return to practice to run samples if necessary (useful if no response to treatment).

Question 9

Rapid assessment of cow with torn milk vein.

Answer 9

Extent of blood loss.
Standing v recumbent.
HR and RR.
MMs.
Pulses.

Question 10

Treatment of torn milk vein.

Answer 10

Repair lesion?
Emergency slaughter?
Monitor PCV – Possibly transfusion?

Question 11

Where else could serious haemorrhage occur?

Answer 11

Respiratory tract.
Reproductive tract.

Question 12

Managing uterine haemorrhage.

Answer 12

Clamps – leave in place.
Pack with towels.
Oxytocin.
REMEMBER – middle uterine artery haemorrhage causes internal bleeding – hypovolaemic cow without external haemorrhage. –> guarded prognosis.

Question 13

History to gain from heifer calving case.

Answer 13

Age / parity / obstetrical history.
Breed of dam and sire.
How long has she been calving.
Is she straining?
Has the farmer assisted?
Herd level problems?

Question 14

1. What marks the transition from first stage labour to second stage labour?
2. What is the average duration of 2nd stage labour in the cow?

Answer 14

1. Water bag ruptures and abdominal contractions begin.
2. 70 minutes.

Question 15

When is the right time to intervene in bovine labour?

Answer 15

In the second stage.
– Straining vigorously for 30 mins without appearance of a calf.
– Failure of the calf to be delivered within 2 hours of the amnion appearing at the vulva.
– Obvious malpresentation, malposture, malposition.
– Detached chorioallantois, foetal meconium or blood stained amniotic fluid.

Question 16

History taking and treatment for a cow with airway obstruction.

Answer 16

History.
– What are the clinical signs.
– Could an FB be involved?
Treatment.
– Attempt to massage up / push down.
– Tracheotomy.