Teat Endoscopy ( Theloscopy )

Teat endoscopy (theloscopy) may be used for diagnosis and therapy of covered teat injuries. Minimal invasive theloscopic surgery may help to restore milk flow, milk yield and SCC of the affected quarter; infection with pathogens, however, may not change significantly. Cows treated as described may yield as much milk as their herdmates at a slightly increased udder SCC, and stay as long in the herd as their herdmates. Theloscopy may also be used for diagnosis and therapy of various other disorders of the inner teat. L'endoscopie du trayon (thélioscopie) peut être utilisée à des fins diagnostics et thérapeutiques pour les blessures inapparentes du trayon. La chirurgie par thélioscopie peut aider les problèmes d'éjection du lait et par conséquent améliorer la production lactée et diminuée le comptage de cellules somatiques (CSS) ; cependant, il y aura peu d'effet si l'infection est causée par des bactéries pathogènes. Les vaches traitée par cette méthode peuvent donner autant de lait que les autres mais avec un CSS légèrement élevé et avec une vie productive tout aussi longue. La thélioscopie peut être utilisé pour le diagnostic et le traitement des problèmes de la portion interne du trayon. References 1. Burkhardt H. Auswirkungen des partiellen Trockenstellens eines Euterviertels beim Rind auf Milchmenge und Milchqualität. Zürich, Veterinärmedizinische Fakultät, Dissertationsschrift, 1985. 2. Geishauser T, Querengässer K. Using teat endoscopy (theloscopy) to diagnose and treat milk flow disorders in cows. Bov Practitioner 2001; 35.2:156-164. 3. Geishauser T, Querengässer K, Nitschke M, Sobiraj A. Milk yield, somatic cell counts and risk of removal from the herd for dairy cows after covered teat canal injury. J Dairy Sci 1999; 82:1482-1488. 4. Heidrich HJ, Gehring W. Untersuchungsergebnisse über die Beeinflussung der Involution eines einzelnen Euterviertels beim Rind durch zeitlich begrenztes Unterlassen des Melkens. Berl Münch Tierärztl Wschr 1958; 71:86-89. Published in IVIS with the permission of the WBC Close window to return to IVIS

performed through either the teat canal or the lateral teat wall.When theloscopy is performed through the teat canal, the teat canal and the teat cistern can be visualized in a upwards direction.When theloscopy is performed through the lateral teat wall, the teat cistern and the inner opening of the teat canal can be visualized in a downwards direction 15 .
244 patients presented to the Veterinary Clinic Babenhausen were predominantly young Braunvieh cows kept in tie-stall barns, and belonging to herds with an average herd size of 38 cows.These patients were at a median of three months in milk, and most of them were previously treated.Predominantly, hind teats were affected by an acute milk flow disorder.In 96% of the affected teats a rupture in the area of the teat canal was diagnosed (49% with tissue dislocation, 47% without tissue dislocation); 4% had other diagnosis such as ruptures in the teat cistern area or papilloma.In 64% of the affected teats, inflammation of the teat lining (cisternitis) was diagnosed.Sublinical mastitis was present in 52% of the affected quarters 11 .
Minimal invasive surgical therapy was performed with the help of teat endoscopy.Ruptured and dislocated tissue were precisely removed by using a teat punch f .Narrowed teat canals were dilated with a teat knife g , and papilloma were extracted by using teat forceps 15 .After surgery the rubber ring was removed, and the quarter was milked out.Antibiotics were administered in the affected teat after the surgery.A silicone implant c was inserted and the teat bandaged and rested for several days to speed up healing.Before surgery peak milk flow from teats with milking disorders was on average 24 (22, 22) % as compared to the contralateral (ipsilateral, diagonal) teats; one month later: 73 (68, 69), six months later: 82 (77, 80) %.This may indicate that milk flow from the affected teats was decreased before surgery, and increased thereafter.Before surgery the milked + drained milk mass from the affected teat was 115 (106, 107) % as compared to the contralateral (ipsilateral, diagonal) teats; one month later the milked mass from the affected teat was 67 (69, 68), and six months later 69 (74, 73) %.This may indicate that milk had congested in the affected quarter before surgery, and that the affected quarter did not entirely meet the milk production of not affected quarters after surgery 12,13 .Before surgery somatic cell count (SCC) from affected quarter was on average 18 (23, 22) times higher than in the milk from contralateral (ipsilateral, diagonal) teats; one month later: 10 (13, 15), six months later: 6 (9, 7) times higher.Before surgery pathogens were detected in the milk from affected teats 4 (4, 5) times more frequently than in the milk from contralateral (ipsilateral, diagonal) teats; one month later: 4 (5, 8), six months later: 3 (4, 6) times more frequently.This may indicate that the quality of the milk from affected quarters was abnormal before surgery; SCC decreased significantly after surgery, however, infection with pathogens did not change significantly 14,16 .
During the lactation the injury occurred as well as the subsequent lactation, affected cows yielded as much milk as unaffected herdmates on test day and throughout lactation.However, covered teat injuries increased test day SCC by 128,000 in average.Covered teat injuries that were managed surgically as described did not affect survival in the herd nor calving interval 3 .

Conclusion
Teat endoscopy (theloscopy) is an excellent diagnostic and therapeutic procedure for covered teat injuries.Minimal invasive theloscopic surgery may help to restore milk flow, milk yield and SCC of the affected quarter; infection with pathogens, however, may not change L'endoscopie du trayon (thélioscopie) peut être utilisée à des fins diagnostics et thérapeutiques pour les blessures inapparentes du trayon.La chirurgie par thélioscopie peut aider les problèmes d'éjection du lait et par conséquent améliorer la production lactée et diminuée le comptage de cellules somatiques (CSS) ; cependant, il y aura peu d'effet si l'infection est causée par des bactéries pathogènes.Les vaches traitée par cette méthode peuvent donner autant de lait que les autres mais avec un CSS légèrement élevé et avec une vie productive tout aussi longue.La thélioscopie peut être utilisé pour le diagnostic et le traitement des problèmes de la portion interne du trayon.

Table 1 :
Resting the teat for 3 x 3 days.