-
COWS-fed-barely-sprouting-fodders, page : 75
to urinate and this will aggravate the problem still further.
If you find she has had a prolapse for several hours it will be covered in manure which should be washed away before being pushed back, if this is not done there is the risk of irritation from contamination that will cause inflammation and infection. When pushing the prolapse back in, restrain the cow in a chute, wash the prolapsed tissue very gently with warm slightly disinfected water such as Nolvasan. Rinse it thoroughly and then push it back in. In the event the prolapse has been out for more than a day before you noticed it, the tissues may be dry and dirty which will be harder to clean up and push back in.
Do not mistake the bulge of pink vaginal issue for an amnion sac (a fluid filled membrane enclosing the calf at birth) which can happen when you check on your cows ready for calving late at night. The amnion is a thin membrane filled with clear fluid and encases the calf being born. If you are in the habit of slicing this sac to prevent suffocation of the calf at birth when the sac refuses to break, take care of what you are slicing.
Some cows repeatedly prolapse the vagina each calving season during late pregnancy, even after the tissues are replaced. Put stitches across the vagina to hold it in after you have cleaned up the protruding ball of tissue and pushed it back, this will correct the problem. If you don't want to do this your vet will do it using a large, curved suture needle and umbilical tape which is less apt to pull out than regular suture thread. Stitches should be anchored in the haired skin at the sides of the vulva where the skin is thick and tough and won't tear out as easily as the skin of the vulva, it is also less sensitive and less painful to remove later on. Three cross-stitches keep the vulva safely closed and prevent the inner tissue from prolapse if she strains. The cow can then urinate through the stitches, but the vulva cannot open enough to prolapse.
If you find she has had a prolapse for several hours it will be covered in manure which should be washed away before being pushed back, if this is not done there is the risk of irritation from contamination that will cause inflammation and infection. When pushing the prolapse back in, restrain the cow in a chute, wash the prolapsed tissue very gently with warm slightly disinfected water such as Nolvasan. Rinse it thoroughly and then push it back in. In the event the prolapse has been out for more than a day before you noticed it, the tissues may be dry and dirty which will be harder to clean up and push back in.
Do not mistake the bulge of pink vaginal issue for an amnion sac (a fluid filled membrane enclosing the calf at birth) which can happen when you check on your cows ready for calving late at night. The amnion is a thin membrane filled with clear fluid and encases the calf being born. If you are in the habit of slicing this sac to prevent suffocation of the calf at birth when the sac refuses to break, take care of what you are slicing.
Some cows repeatedly prolapse the vagina each calving season during late pregnancy, even after the tissues are replaced. Put stitches across the vagina to hold it in after you have cleaned up the protruding ball of tissue and pushed it back, this will correct the problem. If you don't want to do this your vet will do it using a large, curved suture needle and umbilical tape which is less apt to pull out than regular suture thread. Stitches should be anchored in the haired skin at the sides of the vulva where the skin is thick and tough and won't tear out as easily as the skin of the vulva, it is also less sensitive and less painful to remove later on. Three cross-stitches keep the vulva safely closed and prevent the inner tissue from prolapse if she strains. The cow can then urinate through the stitches, but the vulva cannot open enough to prolapse.