How ya’ wanna roll with this? Tips and tricks for uterine tors

Abstract

If you work with breeding livestock, obstetrical problems are inevitable. In bovine, there are numerous types of dystocias. Uterine torsions, rotation of the gravid uterine horn over the broad ligament, is one type that has a higher prevalence in the bovine. While the true underlying cause of torsions is not known, there are several factors that can increase the odds in­cluding pluriparous, deep-bodied dams, and increased move­ment of fetus during the beginning of parturition. Timeliness of assessing and determining direction and degree of torsion are important factors for determining options to resolve the torsion. Resolution options include cast-and-roll dam, manual detorsion or cesarean section. Each option has to be weighed with degree of torsion, stability of dam, facility and assistance availability. Complications that arise include uterine vascular complications, potential complication to the overall health of dam, and lack of cervical dilation after detorsion. With either of the two non-surgical approaches, vaginal evaluation during the process is warranted to determine progress. If the cervix is not dilated during detorsion, often surgical extraction of fetus is necessary. Outcome of dam and fetus depends on duration and extent of torsion and ability to intervene in a timely manner.