Mummified Calf - best way to abort

[Knapview]

We have a Hosltein heifer that was due this coming May for the first time (at approx 27 mths). She started to spring about three weeks ago, then her udder goes away. Have the vet check her on our next HH and sure enough, calf is dead and mummified.

So last Saturday night we gave her 5 cc Dex and 2 cc Estrumate trying to induce abortion. Nothing happened so vet came out again Monday and gave her 10 cc Dex, 2 cc Estrumate. Still nothing. Vet was here again today (for something unrelated, can't wait to see the bill next month :shock: ) and stuck an arm in her. No change.

His first recommmendation on his first visit was to just ship her. Unfortunately, she probably represents the best genetics we have in our herd, is from 7 gen VG or EX (and was our first homebred that we showed successfully). So, we'd really like to explore any and all alternatives that might leave her breeding sound, or at least flushable.

Anyone have any success with anything else? Our vet is going to call the University this morning to see what other choices we have but he's not sure where to go from here.

 

[dun]

The only method I can think of if lute didn;t work would be to dialate the cervix and manually detach the placenta and manually pop the CL and giving more oxytocin. Not even sure that would work and it would have to be an old time vet to feel comfortable popping the CL anyway

dun

 

[milkmaid]

I've seen my vet pop the CL before...that was interesting. Heifer that was going to be flushed.

Had to look up Estrumate...here it is:

ESTRUMATE®
Schering-Plough
(cloprostenol sodium)
Prostaglandin Analogue for Cattle
Equivalent to 250 mcg cloprostenol/mL
Estrumate® (cloprostenol sodium) is a synthetic prostaglandin analogue structurally related to prostaglandin F2α(PGF2α).

PGF2α is...like Lutalyse.

If I remember the repro stuff correctly, in a cow mid-cycle or pregnant, there is a CL, as the cow comes into heat, release of prostaglandin causes regression of the CL. When a cow is in heat or when a cow calves, the repro tract is under the influence of estrogen. (When she's pregnant, it's progesterone.)

Administration of Lutalyse as a prostaglandin will generally cause a cow to cycle if she's open or short bred. The farther along in gestation the harder it is and higher dosage it takes to get them to slip the calf. Now, administration of estrogen would probably work a lot better, and it is even labeled to "stimulate expulsion of...mummified fetuses". Brand name ECP.

Here's the label on that:

ECP® STERILE SOLUTION
Pharmacia & Upjohn
NDC 0009-0616-02
estradiol cypionate
For Use in Animals Only
Caution: Federal (USA) law restricts this drug to use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian.

DESCRIPTION

This is the oil-soluble 17β-cyclopentylpropionate ester of "alpha" estradiol. It provides estradiol-17β, believed to be most potent of the naturally occurring estrogens, in the form of the cyclopentyl-propionate ester
The indications in bovine medicine are1: To correct anestrus (absence of heat period) in the absence of follicular cysts. To expel purulent material from the uterus in pyometra of cows. To stimulate uterine expulsion of retained placentas and mummified fetuses

A dose of ECP should do it...theoretically. ;-) Would you do me a favor? I haven't had the priviledge of trying ECP out on anything other than uterine infections. If you DO use it, would you come back and let me know whether it worked or not?

 

[dun]

A dose of ECP should do it...theoretically. ;-) Would you do me a favor? I haven't had the priviledge of trying ECP out on anything other than uterine infections. If you DO use it, would you come back and let me know whether it worked or not?

Get back to all of us. Another tool in the toolbox if it works as advertised

dun

 

[Knapview]

Well - the update... After the dex and estrumate on Wednesday, she comes into a raging heat on Friday. Called the vet - his theory was that the calf had been dead long enough that her body had ceased to recognize the pregnancy, and started cycling again. She was at the right stage in a cycle to be brought into heat - which made sense once he said it. So, he hit her with estradiol to see what would happen. Saturday he came out to check her - the calf had moved up and was sitting right at her cervix which was slightly dilated. He said he would come back and check her again today - last night she starts passing some placenta like stuff. Today it was getting more bloody and by about 2:00 pm, the calf was obviously right there, through her cervix and almost ready to deliver. Hubby tried to grab it a couple of times but no luck. Vet comes about 3:30pm, is able to grab the calf and gently pull it out. However, it doesn't come away cleanly, almost like it's still attached - I guess it's twins and get the prize. Unfortunately, the second twin is still stuck up in her right horn. He is finally able to catch hold of two tiny legs and pull the second twin. :shock: I suggest that maybe we could try a therapeutic flush - he gives me a hard time that I am doing his job (he was just kidding - he's very good about me pestering him ). We did the flush and she was eating by time we came up to change for chores. Our vet admitted that he really didn't know what to think as far as the drugs causing this or if she just went ahead once she started to dilate as a result of coming into heat... At any rate, there was very little trauma to her repro tract and we know she is still cycling so we are very hopeful that she will breed back (against all odds according to the stats! :mrgreen: ).

 

[milkmaid]

Knapview; thanks for the update.

Keep US (;-)) posted as to whether she breeds back promptly or not.