Problem A-Ing (Question)

[JHH]

Ok, I helped a friend try and A-I some cows Sunday. We have a problem. We used my gun and sheaths and the tip ( The little blue thing) came out and so did the semen straw and stayed in the cow. Will this cause a problem? and how come this happened? any one else have simalar problems? JHH

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

I would think that you need to get the straw out. Sheath messed up maybe?

 

[sizmic]

Was the tip of the semen straw cut off? That sounds rediculous I know, but it could happen.

I had one try to squeeze out one time, it was a defect in the sheath. Since then I look at every sheath tip before putting the straw on.

I would think that it can't be too good for the cow, I'm not sure how it could be corrected, but there must be something they could do.

Sizmic

 

[JHH]

Was the tip of the semen straw cut off? That sounds rediculous I know, but it could happen.

I had one try to squeeze out one time, it was a defect in the sheath. Since then I look at every sheath tip before putting the straw on.

I would think that it can't be too good for the cow, I'm not sure how it could be corrected, but there must be something they could do.

Sizmic

Tip was cut off. Sheath was messed up. I dont know what to do and vet doesnt either.

I would think that you need to get the straw out. Sheath messed up maybe?

I would think so to. I just dont know?

 

[Keren]

Oh. Dear.





Just a thought ... if you are able to palpate rectally and locate the straw, you might be able to get it with a pair of forceps ... but how to reach :???:

Wonder if you can gently manipulate it via the rectum, to get it out?

 

[dun]

Just sort of spitballing an idea here. Give her shot of lut about 10 days after she was bred. When you see her in standing heat rectally palpate the uterus and try to work the straw out. With any luck the blue plug thing will still be attached to the straw.
Now for my thought process (or what passes for a process). You need to get the sstraw out. The straw will irritate the lining of the uterus and possibly damage it. If she should settle , that straw floating aorund in there for 9 months could cause some pretty serious damage to the ueterus AND the calf. The lut has 2 purposes, 1 is to keep her from settling the second is to open the cervix.

 

[angus9259]

Just sort of spitballing an idea here. Give her shot of lut about 10 days after she was bred. When you see her in standing heat rectally palpate the uterus and try to work the straw out. With any luck the blue plug thing will still be attached to the straw.
Now for my thought process (or what passes for a process). You need to get the sstraw out. The straw will irritate the lining of the uterus and possibly damage it. If she should settle , that straw floating aorund in there for 9 months could cause some pretty serious damage to the ueterus AND the calf. The lut has 2 purposes, 1 is to keep her from settling the second is to open the cervix.

Sounds right, but sounds almost impossible. What if you actually let her get bred - hold the pregnancy for a while and then abort hoping the fetus/uterine slough and straw all come out together with one big flush? Man, what a tough spot.

 

[KNERSIE]

Just sort of spitballing an idea here. Give her shot of lut about 10 days after she was bred. When you see her in standing heat rectally palpate the uterus and try to work the straw out. With any luck the blue plug thing will still be attached to the straw.
Now for my thought process (or what passes for a process). You need to get the sstraw out. The straw will irritate the lining of the uterus and possibly damage it. If she should settle , that straw floating aorund in there for 9 months could cause some pretty serious damage to the ueterus AND the calf. The lut has 2 purposes, 1 is to keep her from settling the second is to open the cervix.

I agree with dun's idea, I would just palpate first to try and find out whether the straw is indeed still inside her. Would it be possible to see the straw on a scan?

If the vet doesn't have better suggestions short of surgery I'd give Dun's idea a go, but I wouldn't hold my breath. A great deal of luck would be needed along with plenty of skill and patience. How old is the cow?

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Try to feel the straw and maybe work it into a sheath protector. Thats a hell of a pickle for sure.

 

[JHH]

Just sort of spitballing an idea here. Give her shot of lut about 10 days after she was bred. When you see her in standing heat rectally palpate the uterus and try to work the straw out. With any luck the blue plug thing will still be attached to the straw.
Now for my thought process (or what passes for a process). You need to get the sstraw out. The straw will irritate the lining of the uterus and possibly damage it. If she should settle , that straw floating aorund in there for 9 months could cause some pretty serious damage to the ueterus AND the calf. The lut has 2 purposes, 1 is to keep her from settling the second is to open the cervix.

I agree with dun's idea, I would just palpate first to try and find out whether the straw is indeed still inside her. Would it be possible to see the straw on a scan?

If the vet doesn't have better suggestions short of surgery I'd give Dun's idea a go, but I wouldn't hold my breath. A great deal of luck would be needed along with plenty of skill and patience. How old is the cow?

I was thinking the same thing. Out of the three we done She will probably be the only one to settle.

We are both new to this and he put the straw in and sheath on. I think he screwed it on to tight and then pushed to hard on the gun when he dumped the semen. This was his first time and he was really nervous.
But the sheaths dont act like they fit right either.

Cow is a 2000 model and a really good one to boot. although he did try and a-i her last year and she didnt settle and then lost her natural calf in fall so she may be ready for the sale barn for him anyway.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Any time you have to push hard on the plunger to depoist semen something is wrong. Depoist the semen slow do like a 10 count. I am not a very good AI tech but i get lucky now and then.

 

[dun]

Any time you have to push hard on the plunger to depoist semen something is wrong. Depoist the semen slow do like a 10 count. I am not a very good AI tech but i get lucky now and then.

Glad to see someone else uses the counting method. Don;t seem to see that much anymore from the newer techs

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

That was the way i was taught to do it Dun, I try to just puddle the semen. Also stop and check that i have every thing right at about 5.

 

[HOSS]

Man what a pickle to be in! However......out of the millions of cows AI'd every year you would think that this has happened before and a remedy found. I would call ABS or Genex and ask who their biggest AI customer is. Call them to talk to their tech. Chances are he / she has done enough cows that this has happened to them before. Find out what they did to fix it. I am sure you are not the first person to have some bad luck. Good luck.....I hope it works out for you.

 

[redcowsrule33]

I would go in and explore the vaginal vault up to the cervix manually. Use a sterile sleeve and lots of sterile lube. Had a neighbor have the same thing happen to her and she found it this way sticking out of the cervix. If no go and you don't want to kill off a pregnancy unnecessarily I would find someone who can ultrasound as it will definately show up on a scan. If it fell out into the vaginal vault it may have been expelled by the cow already. If she's too small a vet might have a speculum you can use to look up in there far enough to see.

If you beat the odds and it is in the uterus I think surgical removal would be the only route. The longer it stays in there the more infection and scarring will occur. However, a horse vet might have a uterine biopsy forceps that could grab it if the cow is in heat and the straw is close to the cervix.

 

[RanchManager]

This is no help, but an observation. If the foreign object is past the cervix, the irritation and subsequent small or large infection will most likely keep her from conceiving. If it is on the outside of the cervix it will be irritating and also most likely prevent conception. If the objects are outside of the cervix you might be able to see it with something like a Frick speculum ( basically a piece of pipe with blunt ends; used for tubing down the throat). I would probably try looking with that first as far as the cervix. You might find you lucked out and deposited the straw outside the cervix. Past the cervix you will probably need a flexible scope and some forceps. There are some plumbing applications that are small and might work.

Good luck! In any case please post the outcome. I'd like to learn something from this in the event it happens to me. Thanks for sharing the knowledge.

 

[JHH]

Going to go fishing this weekend hope we find the straw.JHH

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Good Luck. Maybe it will be easy.

 

[JHH]

Got the straw, but never found the little blue thing. Is it possible for her to have got rid of that on her own?

 

[dun]

Got the straw, but never found the little blue thing. Is it possible for her to have got rid of that on her own?

Almost anything is possible. How did you get the straw out?