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Can you do it yourself, or do you need help from a pro? Dr. Buddy Faries offers advice on the types of difficult deliveries you can assist with — and those you shouldn't. Assist or Resist? By KATRINA WATERS Dystocia causes a myriad of problems. Not only are the cow and calf more likely to become injured, ill or even die during a difficult delivery, but pulling calves means more time spent on individual animals that could be spent tending to the whole herd. Regardless, it's an obstacle every cow-calf producer faces from time to time. While sometimes it may be a no-brainer to jump in and assist, it's important to know when the best thing you can do is call your veterinarian. Dr. Floron C. "Buddy" Faries Jr., professor and program leader for veterinary medicine with Texas AgriLife Extension Service, says it is important not only to make the right decision, but to make it as early as possible to prevent any unnecessary tissue damage to the cow or injuries to the calf. Faries says understanding what is causing the dystocia is the first step in making that decision. "The cause should be determined early on," he says. "You shouldn't just say, 'Well, we have a heifer or a cow in trouble so we're going to jump in there and get it out.' First, you need to understand why she is in trouble. From there you can make some evaluations to decide if you are going to attempt it or should bring in a veterinarian." Common causes When a heifer is in trouble, a producer's first thought is likely that the calf is too big. While that may be the case, it's also possible that the heifer's size is the problem, Faries says. He says that at calving, a heifer should be at about 85 percent of her adult weight. For example, if you expect her to grow into a 1,000-pound cow, she should weigh about 850 at calving time. If she's going to be a 1,400-pound cow, she should weigh about 1,190 at the end of gestation. "If a heifer is too small, that should really jump out at you [as the reason for the difficult delivery]," Faries says. He says there are a couple of good reasons a heifer may be too small, but it's usually not the one producers often blame — age. "A lot of producers want to use that as a reason, but it's just not that common," Faries says. "Most cattle are managed in places where there are means to keep young heifers away from bulls, and it is unusual for a bull to get to her. I know it does occur, but it is not common." He says genetics may be to blame. "She may not have the genetics to be a big, growthy heifer. That's a mistake of the producer — selecting replacement heifers that won't develop properly. It's important to know the genetics or how her mother or half-sisters developed and grew," he says. Alternately, Faries adds, nutrition may be to blame. "You've not only got to select the right heifers with the right genetics, but also provide them proper nutrition. [Those requirements are] way beyond the cows' requirements, so we cannot throw them out with the cows and expect their requirements to be met," he says. Outward appearances aren't everything, though. A right-sized heifer on the outside may be too small on the inside for an easy delivery, Faries says. Before making that assessment, he says it is important to be extremely clean — hands should be thoroughly washed and any instruments or equipment that will be used should be sterilized. To exam her from the inside, Faries says to enter the vagina and go about elbow-deep. "When you get well beyond your wrist, about elbow-deep, you will reach the pelvic inlet — the bony inlet of the pelvic bone, which is a circle," he says. Faries explains the circle is comprised of the lower back, or sacrum, as the roof; the wings of the ilium on both sides at three- and nine- o'clock; and the pubic bone as the floor. He says a sweep of the ring will help determine if she is too small on the inside. "Just by judgment, you'll know that it is a small ring," Faries says. "And the calf has got to go through that ring. The calf isn't just coming through soft tissue — there is bone around it, so there is a limitation to how much it can stretch and dilate." He says even if the heifer is small both inside and out, he says it is OK to move forward and assess the calf's size, because if the calf is also small, the producer may be able to assist the delivery without problems. "Now, you've got to reach further in to where you can feel the calf to estimate its size. If that calf is heavier than 70 pounds, it is too big, which is likely the result of genetics. "If you determine that the heifer is too small and the calf is too big, the veterinarian needs to be called. That is usually the criteria for a Caesarean section — the heifer is too small and the calf is too big. If that's the case, you just need to back off. There is no need to put this heifer through a wreck to try to get the calf out on your own," Faries says. He continues, "If we just have one of the two — the heifer is small, but the calf is also small — we're going to keep moving forward and attempt a delivery. Likewise, if we decide the calf is too big, yet we've got a big heifer, we're not bent out of shape right now. When we need a Caesarean section is when we have both of those problems at the same time." Further evaluation At this point, if you're still going to assist with the delivery, Faries says the next assessment is to make sure the heifer has properly readied herself for calving. In doing so, her tailhead should have been rising for one- to two- days prior to delivering the calf. He says as the ligaments that normally hold the sacrum tight relax, the tailhead goes up, allowing more room between the sacrum and pubic bone. If you press down on the tailhead with firm pressure and it springs right back up, that heifer is what cattlemen refer to as a "springer" and she has readied herself for calving. However, if the heifer is not a springer, Faries says it is important to back off and call a veterinarian, who will likely need to perform a Caesarean section. If she is indeed a springer, the next step is to locate the calf's front feet and make another size assessment by placing your fist between the calf's two ankles. "If the calf is not too big, you should be able to separate those front feet with the width of your fist. But if you can't, that means the legs are too big, the pelvic inlet is too small or a combination of both. "If you can't get your fist between those two ankles, you are not going to be able to get the shoulders or the hips through. That's another reason you back off and call a veterinarian," Faries says. Once a producer makes the decision to proceed and help deliver the calf, there are still a few possible roadblocks that could mean a veterinarian becomes necessary. For example, to deliver the calf, the producer must first get the calf's legs completely extended. This generally requires lubrication, especially if it has been several hours since she broke water. If the producer does not have adequate means of lubricating the calf — or if he is still unable to get the calf's legs fully extended within 30 minutes of trying — he needs to call a vet. For traction, Faries says it may be necessary to use OB chains (he recommends making a loop above the ankle and a half-hitch below the ankle). Again, if the producer does not have chains or is unable to make sufficient progress within a 30-minute timeframe, it's time to call the vet. Once the legs are extended, the next step is to get the head and neck extended. Faries says if the producer has any trouble getting the head and neck extended — to where the tip of the calf's nose is at the ankles — he should stop and call a vet. If a calf is in an abnormal presentation, Faries says it may be able to be manipulated into a normal presentation. However, if that's not possible or if progress isn't made within 30 minutes, stop and call a vet. It's better to be safe than sorry — Faries says a well-meaning producer may do more harm than good in some situations. "They may just want to get in there and do something and the first thing you know they have broken a leg or killed the calf or broken the [heifer's] pelvis," he says. "It's kind of like working on a truck when you don't have the right instrument," Faries continues. "You think, 'I don't need a mechanic, I just need this tool to reach that spark plug or bolt or whatever.' Sometimes you just don't have the right equipment to get it done and it gets you in a bind." When to Call for Help
"Assist or Resist?" is from the February 2010 issue of The Cattleman magazine.
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