Complications of Pregnancy in Cattle
Posted by Unknown in Breeding and Pregnancy, Cattle and Livestock, Diseases, Goat, Sheep on Sunday 27 January 2013
Suzanne W. Gasparotto
COMPLICATIONS OF PREGNANCY
There
are many health problems that can impact a pregnant doe. Below are some
of the most common ones. The Articles page at
www.tennesseemeatgoats.com contains articles detailing diagnosis and
treatment for most of these conditions.
Congenital
and Developmental Defects: Many birth defects are never seen by the
producer because the doe's body either reabsorbs the embryo in early
gestation or aborts the fetus.Visible birth defects appearing at
parturition (birthing) include cleft palate, atresi ani, and
mummification.
Cleft
palate is a lengthwise split in the roof of the mouth. Atresi ani is no
rectal opening. Mummification is a kid whose limbs are *frozen* in
place and unmoveable. A dead mummified kid may have to be taken apart in
pieces to get its body out of the doe. A live mummified kid may be born
but will be unable to move.
Cleft
palate, atresi ani, and live mummification are conditions requiring
immediate humane euthanasia. All three conditions may or may not recur
if the same doe and buck are bred again.
Ringwomb:
Incomplete dilation of the cervix. Manual manipulation of the cervical
opening should be done by an experienced person -- preferably a vet. The
tissue involved is very easy to damage. Ringwomb may be the result of
inadequate levels of minerals or hormones.
Uterine Rupture:
This condition can occur at any time during pregnancy and is usually
the result of being hit. Impossible to diagnose without veterinarian
assistance. Uterine rupture can also occur when assistance in kidding is
needed and the pushing-pulling-rearranging of kids inside the uterus
results in tearing it. Uterine rupture is often not repairable
surgically and the dam will die within 24 to 72 hours.
Uterine Torsion:
A twisted uterus is very difficult to fix but repositioning it is the
only solution.If uterine torsion is suspected, vet help is necessary.
Periparturient Edema: Swelling
of lower legs in long-bred does. Often but not always associated with
worm load. Usually occurs when multiple fetuses are taking more
nutrition than dam can replace, putting her in a nutritional deficit.
Pregnancy Toxemia and Ketosis:
Nutritionally-related metabolic diseases occuring at the end of
pregnancy and early during lactation. An improper level of nutrition is
the cause. As the dam draws upon her own body's reserves and her tissues
begin to starve, deadly ketones are produced. Oral administration of
high-energy products such as propylene glycol, molasses, or Karo syrup
given orally are necessary.
Abortions and Vaginal Discharges:
Red, brown, or very foul-smelling discharges are not normal and may
indicate early termination of pregnancy. Examples of conditions causing
abortions include interruption of the fetal blood supply when injured,
poor nutrition (insufficient energy), stress (moving, changing feed,
illness), abortion diseases, toxicity (ingestion of poisonous plants or
other substances), surgery, malformation of the fetus during
development, and labor-inducing drugs (dexamethasone). The usual drug of
choice is oxytetracycline 200 mg/ml (LA 200 or generic equivalent).
Hypocalcemia:
Commonly but improperly called "milk fever," hypocalcemia is an
imbalance of calcium occuring just prior to kidding. The first
recognizable physical symptom is usually cold and dragging rear legs.
This nutritionally based illness involves hormonal changes that occur in
the mobilization of calcium when the doe begins to produce milk.
Calcium-rich feeds/hays need to be cut back during the last 30 days of
gestation to prevent excess calcium from being deposited in her bones.
The dam's body needs to be releasing calcium already stored in her bones
for use in milk production. Oral administration of CMPK or MFO solution
are recommended.
Prolapses.
Prolapses of the vagina or the rectum can occur in a doe heavy with
kids. Purse-string stitches and prolapse retainers may help. Prolapses
recurring in multiple pregnancies means that the doe should be culled.
Cloudburst Pregnancy:
False pregnancy, pseudo-pregnancy, more specifically
hydrometra.Everything about a cloudburst pregnancy is normal except that
no kid was formed and a "cloudburst" of liquid comes out of the dam's
body at delivery. Infectious diseases like toxoplasmosis and border
disease may be the cause, as may certain plant materials that contain
phytoestrogens. A more common cause is the chemical alteration of estrus
through artificial induction into heat of does by producers who use
gonadotrophin-releasing hormones.
Mastitis:
The infected udder becomes swollen, hard, and hot from bacteria
entering through the teats. The milk, if any, is stringy, bloody, and
unuseable. Cleanliness of pens and feeding areas is critical. Because
the udder is an interwoven mass of fibrous tissue that is walled off
from the rest of the doe's body, injectable antibiotics cannot get to
the source of the infection. Because mastitis organisms can become
systemic and infect the doe's entire body, a broad-spectrum antibiotic
like prescription Nuflor is recommended. Cai-Pan Peppermint Oil Cream
applied externally to the udder can provide relief from discomfort to
the doe. In some breeds mastitis may occur in certain genetic lines.
Mastitis is usually chronic and therefore a *cull* factor in a meat-goat
herd.
Congested Udder:
Unlike mastitis, congested udder is readily treatable by applying hot
compresses to the udder until the over-filled tight udder softens enough
to get useable milk out.
Retained Placenta: Placental
tissue (afterbirth) should be expelled by the doe's body within 12 to
24 hours after parturition. Retained placenta can be caused by abortion
diseases such as toxoplasmosis or chlamydiosis or can be the result of
selenium deficiency in the doe's diet. Tall fescue grass or hay can be
the culprit. A prescription oxytocin injection may be needed if the
placenta has not passed within the normal timeframe. Do not pull the
placental tissue out, even if it is dragging behind the doe; doing this
can kill her. After a difficult birth, the uterus should be flushed with
a solution of Nolvasan or Chlorhexidine antibacterials to prevent
infection (metritis).
Metritis: Infection of the uterus that can occur with retained placenta or dead kids inside the dam.
No Milk.
If the doe has been a good milk producer previously, then the problem
is either mastitis or nutritional. Feeding tall fescue grass or hay can
cause poor milk production. A non-mastitic freshened doe who is not
producing enough milk should be fed a diet high in legume hay (alfalfa
or peanut hay) and extra grain rations. Occasionally an injection of
dexamethasone can bring a doe into milk. In some breeds, certain genetic
lines are poor milk producers.
After
any abnormal or difficult kidding, the producer should glove up and
manually go inside the doe to check for undelivered live or dead kids.
Be careful not to disturb the tissues attached to the inside of the
doe's uterus. Pregnancy in goats is accompanied by great risks,
occurring outside under a wide variety of dangerous conditions and
usually occurs unassisted. It is remarkable that more pregnancy-related
deaths do not occur. There are many things that producers can do
themselves to assist their goats but there are times when vet help is
essential.
Important! Please Read This Notice!
All
information provided in these articles is based either on personal
experience or information provided by others whose treatments and
practices have been discussed fully with a vet for accuracy and
effectiveness before passing them on to readers.
In
all cases, it is your responsibility to obtain veterinary services and
advice before using any of the information provided in these articles.
Suzanne Gasparotto is not a veterinarian.Neither tennesseemeatgoats.com
nor any of the contributors to this website will be held responsible for
the use of any information contained herein.
This entry was posted on Sunday 27 January 2013 at 10:41 and is filed under Breeding and Pregnancy, Cattle and Livestock, Diseases, Goat, Sheep. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response.
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