Urogenital Surgery Male Flashcards
why do we castrate cows?
decreases sexual activity in the feedlot (riding), eliminates unwanted inferior genetics, decreases aggression towards humans and herd mates, improves meat quality (higher grade, less energy to muscle, fatten quicker)
when do we castrate and why?
usually at birth OR at branding
this minimizes pain and distress when theyre less than 1 week old, surgery gets more complciated with age, it’s easier to restrain them, it’s safer
the older the animal, the more pain and distress
do NOT do it at weaning or arrival–>too much stress
if a cow is crypt, which testicle do you remove firs
the crypt one or dont castrate them
true or false: banding for castration is better done when cows are younger, and surgical castration is better done when cows are a little older
true!
what is the difference between an open and a closed castration
open–>pareital vaginal tunic is opened and testicular ligament ruptures
closed–>pareital vaginal tunic intact, blunt dissection/stripping fascia to spermatic cord
closed is more common
why is vaccine status important to know before castrating?
they can get tetanus hehe
what are some ways to provide anesthesia and alagesia for castration?
testicular blocks–>inject into the testicle until you feel resistance. use 3 mls per testicle in calves and 10mls per testicle in older cows
can do an epidural with xylazine or xylazine + lidocaine
NSAIDs–>meloxicam lasts the longest but can also do flunixin or ketoprofen
list non surgical ways to castrate
banding, burdizzo, and immunocastration
what is the burdizzo method of castrating?
considered the least painful method but it’s not common anymore. essentially you crush the spermatic cord through the scrotal skin. doesn’t disrupt blood supply to the scrotum so the scrotum doesn’t slough.
why is burdizzo technique not common anymore even though it is least painful?
high failure rate, requires equipment maintenance, you need different sizes for different ages, there is an age limit (2-4months), and each crush needs to be placed for 10 seconds
pros and cons of banding technique?
there’s no pain initially and it’s considered non surgical, BUT: there’re more chronic pain and can cause pain for up to 8 weeks, will cause decreased gain for 3-4 weeks, and causes ischemic necrosis (risk of tetanus).
proper way to place a band?
placed just above both testicles and the bands should be less than a year old (old ones break), and they need to be tight enough!
calves: use the tribander/elastrator which is low tension
any age: high tension??? slides are unclear
pros and cons of doing surgical castration?
pros: fast healing, post op pain is only 1-2 weeks
cons: high degree of surgical pain, need alalgesia and maybe antibiotics, need to consider the environment (dirty pens)
different ways you can make a scrotal incision?
with a scalpel or with a newberry knife
different ways to do “pulling” after making scrotal incision?
by hand: best in young calves, strip the cord and apply slow traction
henderson castration tool: expose and strip the cord and can be done in animals up to 1200 lbs, less hemorrhage?
