Palpate - Vulva or Rectum

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

This topic came up on another thread, so I was interested what others do.
If you suspect that "something" may be wrong on a cow close to calving - like she's been restless way too long, or there has been fluid and no progress, or "whatever".
Do you check her by going thru the vulva or rectum the first palpation? and why?
I don't mean when you see a foot or you know "for sure" she has started calving.

 

[dun]

99% of the time I check vaginally.

dun

 

[rockridgecattle]

here is another question that goes along with this good question.
What precautions do farmers take when doing a palp exam. For example do you just role up your sleeve and go to work or gloves and iodine etc? Clean equipment including the puller?
I would be interested in the feed back as well.

 

[dun]

here is another question that goes along with this good question.
What precautions do farmers take when doing a palp exam. For example do you just role up your sleeve and go to work or gloves and iodine etc? Clean equipment including the puller?
I would be interested in the feed back as well.

Depends on the situation. If it's out in the pasture laying on my belly I generally go barehanded. Otherwise it's glove and sanitation.

dun

 

[millstreaminn]

With the diary cows I always went in bare handed. First, a trip to the milkhouse to scrub up well past the elbows, grabbed a bottle of mineral oil for lube and then go to the cow to have a look or a feel... :roll:

 

[mitchwi]

Depends on the situation. If it's out in the pasture laying on my belly I generally go barehanded. Otherwise it's glove and sanitation.

dun

The mental image of this gives me the giggles!! (sorry Dun)

Michele

 

[rkm]

We usually checked thru the rectum first. If the calf's head and feet were up in the birth canal we would give a little more time but not much. It seemed once you check vaginally they start the calving process ready or not.

Jeanne I left a message on the breeds board for you, wondering how the NYBPA sale went. Either you never seen it or the sale went so bad you didn't want to comment. ;-)

 

[*Cowgirl*]

We usually checked thru the rectum first. If the calf's head and feet were up in the birth canal we would give a little more time but not much. It seemed once you check vaginally they start the calving process ready or not.

Jeanne I left a message on the breeds board for you, wondering how the NYBPA sale went. Either you never seen it or the sale went so bad you didn't want to comment. ;-)

Yeah - clean glove and lube.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

I do a vaginal palp. Gloves and a lubricant. If I have no gloves, I scrub well. However, had 2 different situations where neither gloves, lube or scrubbing were feasable and did without.

Katherine

 

[dun]

However, had 2 different situations where neither gloves, lube or scrubbing were feasable and did without.

Katherine

Kind of like laying on your belly out in the pasture?

dun

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Kind of like laying on your belly out in the pasture?

dun

Yeah, kinda like that. ;-)

Katherine

 

[msscamp]

We always checked vaginally. Chains, handles, etc., were always washed thoroughly between calves and stored in a clean, dry outbuilding near the calving set-up. Gloves were not used, but I'm not sure why.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Don't know why, but hubby always checks thru rectum first (unless calving is in progress). ALWAYS have gloves, lube, wash vulva area with disinfectant, chains & handles already sterilized. (but cows are ALWAYS in barn - no bellie crawling out in the mud/snow for us). Could happen, but so far NOT!

We purchased an "el-cheapo" hand pump and added long tube on it so we can insert it in cow & pump lots of lube in if needed.
Luckily, we don't need these things often, (as I think most beef producers) but must be prepared.

 

[Chris H]

If the cow is obviously laboring, then vaginal. If questionable labor still carefully go in vaginal, I always figured if she was not in labor then the cervix would not be dilated enough to get my hand in and I would not force things. I can't remember any time I've checked rectally when I thought there was a problem calving.
I almost always use sleeves, both hands. I'm not as dexterious(sp) as our vet who usually can get by with one sleeve. I think it was only one time I didn't glove up. Cow down, bad presentation, would have taken too long to get the equipment.
My AI lube is right where I store my gloves, so I always grab the bottle when getting my gloves.
All equipment is washed then rinsed in iodine after use.
Got a bag of worn towels we use that I wash in bleach & hot water after use.
Never bothered to wash cow but will grab something to wipe off 'goop'.

 

[randiliana]

We always check vaginally. I think it would be hard to tell if she is dialated through the rectum. Then, we can make a decision whether to wait or go ahead and pull. We almost always use gloves, unless she is on pasture and we can't get her to the barn. Chains are kept clean (after every calf) and then left to hang in the barn so they are handy if we need them again.

 

[cowvet]

If she is close to calving then I will do a vaginal exam first - to see what the cervix is doing (dilated etc). Before doing a vaginal exam I ALWAYS clean around the cows backend with an antiseptic and then use a clean glove and lube. The LAST thing you want to do is introduce bacteria to the repro tract prior to calving.

A rectal check is second to feel the position of the calf if I haven't been able to do that vaginally.

 

[John in WI]

If you are going to glove-up, is a wrist length glove acceptable, or does it need to cover the arm as well?

 

[dun]

If you are going to glove-up, is a wrist length glove acceptable, or does it need to cover the arm as well?

The glove serves 2 purposes. One is to protect the person the other is to prevent the hair on the arm/hand from irritating the vulva of the cow. If you're only going to go in once then the wrist length may be adequate. But if you're going to have to go in multiple times the full length sleeve is the best option. I found it hard to believe that hand/arm hair could irritate the birth canal enough to cause problems, I'm now a believer

dun

 

[cowvet]

If you are going to glove-up, is a wrist length glove acceptable, or does it need to cover the arm as well?

I feel a new glove is usually cleaner than my arm!!! I have no problem with doing it without a glove (or using a short glove) if you have a good scrub up beforehand - you are going to need to go in further than your wrist to feel her cervix. The aim is to not introduce any bacteria from the outside to the inside of her tract.

 

[rockridgecattle]

After we have washed the back end of the cow with an iodine solution as well as washing our hands and arms, we use both the full length glove and the wrist glove at the same time. We started doing this cause it helped keep the long glove from coming off when your reaching in and pulling out to grab that little defiant calf. Always kept loosing the clothes pins that we used to pin the long gloves to the rolled up shirt.