DO’S AND DON’T OF DELIVERING CALVES

1. DO’S AND DON’T OF DELIVERING CALVES Bill Croushore, DVM White Oak Veterinary Clinic Berlin, PA

2. DO’S AND DON’T OF DELIVERING CALVES • Deciding when to assist • Assess the situation • Fixing the problem • Pulling the calf • Handling the calf • Check and treat the cow

3. DECIDING WHEN TO ASSIST OR WAIT • Timing • Heifers should be given 4 hours to progress • Cows should be given 2 hours to progress • Dam can be in labor for 12 hours or more before the calf dies

4. You’ve decided to assist • Restraint of the cow • ALWAYS ASSUME SHE WILL LAY DOWN • Methods of restraint • Headlock/ chute • Advantage- limited range of motion • Disadvantage- If cow goes down, hard to get out • Rope halter tied loose to a post with a slip knot • Advantage- if cow goes down, easy to untie • Disadvantage- Cow can move back and forth • Tied with a halter, cow behind a gate • My favorite

5. You’ve decided to assist • Evaluation of the dam • Wear disposable rectal sleeve • Reduces risk of disease transmission to you and cow • Important – wash her up • Wash with soap and rinse with water • Cleanliness is crucial • How clean should she be?

6. You’ve decided to assist

7. You’ve decided to assist • Lubrication • Always have on hand • What kind to use? • Nolvalube • J Lube • Needs to be mixed with water or used as dry powder • What not to use • Soaps • Will wash out cow’s natural lubrication

8. Is the cervix dilated? Where is the calf? What do you feel? Head and 2 feet Head, no feet? 2 feet, no head? Upside-down? 2 feet and tail? Pelvis and tail? 2, 3 or 4 feet? Too tight to deliver now? Head back? Uterine torsion? Guts? Amorphus globosus? Assessing the situation

9. Abnormal Presentations Leg back 2 legs back Leg over head Poll first

10. Abnormal Presentations Head back 4 feet at once Calf upside down Beware twisted uterus True Breech

11. Abnormal Presentations True Breech 4 feet at once Beware of twins rare rare

12. Assessing the situation • When to call the Vet • Failure to dilate • Head back • Unless you have experience correcting these • True breech • Pelvis and tail, no feet • Uterine torsion • Calf too big for vaginal delivery • Feel guts or unrecognizable calf • Any other situation you feel you need help

13. Assessing the situation • Head and 2 feet in normal presentation • Normal • Make sure she is dilated enough to deliver the calf • No drug exists to make her dilate • Manual dilation with forearms

14. Manual dilation with forearms

15. Assessing the situation • 2 feet, no head • Bottom of feet up or down? • Front feet or back feet? • Front foot AND a back foot? • Possibilities: • Backwards, head back, uterine torsion, twins • How do you tell? • Hocks vs. knees

16. Assessing the situation

17. Assessing the situation • Twisted uterus (Uterine Torsion) • Most are twisted counterclockwise • Vaginal exam • Can feel twisted folds of vagina • May feel like she isn’t dilated • May or may not feel feet, usually front feet • Rectal exam • Feel broad ligament of the uterus wrapped over cervix • Best way to figure out which way the uterus is twisted

18. Twisted Uterus

19. FIXING COMMON PROBLEMSNow that you’ve figured out what’s wrong • Rule of thumb If you don’t make progress in 20-30 minutes, try something else • This goes for manipulations, pulling, trying to get chains on, etc.

20. FIXING COMMON PROBLEMS • Head back • Need tongs or chain and head snare • Difficult to get a live calf • Calf usually dead or weak, doesn’t participate in delivery process • Manipulation to correct position sometimes kills the calf if it’s still alive

21. FIXING COMMON PROBLEMS Calf with head back

22. HEAD BACK • *DO NOT PULL UNLESS THE HEAD IS THROUHGH THE CERVIX • Complications: • Torn uterus • Torn cervix • Paralyzed cow • Dead calf • Need to hook tongs or chain to calf’s lower jaw and pull to straighten out • Once head is straight, place head snare and pull head along with feet or the head will twist back again

23. FIXING COMMON PROBLEMS • Head, one leg or no legs • Push head back in as far as possible and feel for legs • Grasp leg and correct • Cup hoof with palm of hand to prevent torn uterus • Sometimes need epidural for cow to prevent straining • NEVER PULL WITHOUT FEET

24. FIXING COMMON PROBLEMS • Rear feet first, upside-down • Be careful, initially front feet and head back feel the same way • Pull and rotate calf at same time • Rear feet first, normal position • Make sure she is dilated • Once pulling started, get calf out quickly so calf doesn’t suffocate- umbilical cord gets pinched during delivery • Often need pulling aids (rope)

25. FIXING COMMON PROBLEMS • True breech • Tail first and no feet • Can be difficult to correct • Push calf away and grab foot • Must cup foot with palm of hand and rotate toward middle of calf while pulling leg back • complication- torn uterus

26. True breech presentation

27. FIXING COMMON PROBLEMS • Uterine torsion (Twisted Uterus) • 4 ways to fix • Manually untwist • Detorsion rod • Attach chains to calf’s feet and rotate uterus • Easy to break calf’s leg • Roll the cow • Cast the cow and roll her in the same direction as the uterus is twisted • Helpful to have a somebody kneel on a plank positioned on her flank to hold the uterus in place • C-section

28. PULLING THE CALF • After abnormal positions have been corrected and cervix is dilated • Tools for pulling the calf • Chains • Handles • Rope (30 ft. length with lariat attached) • Head snare • Tongs • Calf Jack

29. Rope Handles Tongs chains Head snare

30. PULLING THE CALF • Some words of caution about the calf jack • Valuable tool in the right situation • Can be dangerous to the operator, cow and calf • If cow goes down, calf jack becomes a weapon • Almost impossible to use when the cow is down

31. What does this have to do with delivering a calf? Absolutely nothing

32. PULLING THE CALF • Tools for pulling the calf • *Things not to use unless you want a dead cow and calf • Tractors • Skid loaders • Pick-up trucks • Other forms of motorized machinery • Use extreme caution with come-along

34. PULLING THE CALF • *Lubrication • Always have on hand • A little lube can drastically reduce the amount of force needed to pull a calf and make manipulations easier

35. PULLING THE CALF • Using the rope • Run lariat through both handles and attach back to rope • Run rope directly behind cow around sturdy post or pipe • Run free end of rope back through the handles attached to calf • Pull on the free end to increase tension and push down on the whole rope to extract calf

36. PULLING THE CALF • Using the rope • Run lariat through both handles and attach back to rope

37. PULLING THE CALF • Run rope directly behind cow around sturdy post or pipe

38. PULLING THE CALF • Run free end of rope back through the handles attached to calf

39. PULLING THE CALF Pull on the free end to increase tension and push down on the whole rope to extract calf

40. PULLING THE CALF • Advantages to using the rope • If cow goes down, rope won’t hurt you, cow or calf • If cow goes down, rope method is still effective • Able to provide enough force to extract even large calves • If cow moves forward, tension can be reduced so tearing doesn’t occur • Disadvantages • Need sturdy post to attach rope

41. PULLING THE CALF • Chain or strap BOTH feet, use double half hitch • Use lots of lube

42. Double half-hitch

43. PULLING THE CALF • Work head trough vulva gradually to aid in dilation • Apply steady pressure • When calf’s chest is started through the vulva, rotate calf to prevent hip lock

44. PULLING THE CALF Rotating calf to prevent hip lock

45. Hip lock • If hip lock occurs, STOP PULLING and rotate calf • Hip lock occurs when the calf’s hips are horizontal to the dam’s pelvis • Calf’s hips are widest at this point • Dam’s pelvis is most narrow at this point • Calf should be twisted 45 degrees • If hip lock occurs and you continue to pull, you will literally wedge the calf into the cow’s pelvis

46. Hip lock Maternal Pelvis X-section of calf hips Hip Lock Prevent Hip lock

47. Handling the live calf • Once calf is delivered, sit calf up on its breastbone and position rear legs behind it like a frog

48. Handling the live calf • Stimulate breathing by sticking rigid piece of straw in nostril • This stimulates breathing reflex • If no straw available, a finger works as well

49. Handling the live calf • Never hang calf upside down or centrifuge • Misconception about fluid in lungs • Fluid is expelled from lungs through compression of chest during delivery • Fluid expelled while hanging comes from stomach • Upside down calf has difficulty expanding lungs • If calf has excessive fluid, use coupage

50. Check the cow • ALWAYS perform a vaginal exam on the cow to check for twins and tears • If tearing occurred, or bruising is excessive, give aspirin or Flunixin • If snow is available, can pack rectal sleeve with snow and place in vagina to prevent swelling • Consider antibiotics for cow.