Prolapse After C-section

[CattleAnnie]

Hey all,
I mentioned this in a previous post, but thought maybe that was the wrong place to ask this question:

Have any of you ever encountered a cow prolapsing after a c-section?

I had a heifer that I picked up at auction (supposed to have been bred red angus, wrong! ) that needed a c-sect due to a coarse boned Simmie sired calf that wouldn't fit through the birth canal. Long story short, took cow to the vet, calf had died by the time I could get there, brought her home and the next a.m she prolapsed.

Put the uterus back in and sewed her vagina up (amazingly hadn't torn the stiches in her uterus when she prolapsed).

She didn't quit straining, and within seven hours had ripped her vaginal stitches out by prolapsing again, and what a bloody mess that was...her vagina was stretched out to almost a foot. Had to take her to a different vet put her uterus in (she would not stop straining)because vet who did the surgery was out on a call. When I talked to the vet who did the surgery, he was stumped that she had prolapsed after the procedure. So was the other vet that put the uterus back. Both vets have been in practice for 30+ years.

Any ideas on what the heck happened there?
Thanks and take care.

 

[Campground Cattle]

I ve got one that prolapsed out the anus and vagina vet fixed her had a calf two months ago.I have never had one prolapse two months after calving . This was a week and a half ago she walks around straing all the time and looks like she is going to prolapse again. We were trying to save her to get to the sale barn to avoid a total loss, if she prolapses again I will be forced to put ther down.

 

[CattleAnnie]

That's pretty odd, Campground. Has your vet come up with any ideas on what caused her to do that?

 

[Ann Bledsoe]

It's quite possible that the tips of the uterine horns weren't completely in place after the C-section. Having the uterine horns inverted even a tiny bit will cause the cow to strain and can easily result in a uterine prolapse.
After a uterine prolapse, it's imperative to make sure that the uterine horns are completely in place otherwise the cow won't stop straining and she'll prolapse again.
(from my vet who specializes in diary cattle)


Ann B

 

[CattleAnnie]

Thanks Ann. I had to get the neighbour to help put the uterus back in the first time she prolapsed (I'm fairly strong, but no where near strong enough to manage that on my own). Perhaps he didn't get the horns back in place... but it is interesting what your vet noted about the c-section and the uterine horns, as it's got pretty near all the DVM's up here stumped.
Take care.

 

[dun]

One trick with uterine prolapse is to sprinkle sugar on the exposed tissue, it makes them shrink down so they're easier to replace. Also if you can find one of the old style coke bottles they make handy tool for pushing it back in.
It was explained to me once why the sugar does what it does, but that was 30 years ago.

dun

Thanks Ann. I had to get the neighbour to help put the uterus back in the first time she prolapsed (I'm fairly strong, but no where near strong enough to manage that on my own). Perhaps he didn't get the horns back in place... but it is interesting what your vet noted about the c-section and the uterine horns, as it's got pretty near all the DVM's up here stumped.
Take care.

 

[BLACKPOWER]

I ve got one that prolapsed out the anus and vagina vet fixed her had a calf two months ago.I have never had one prolapse two months after calving . This was a week and a half ago she walks around straing all the time and looks like she is going to prolapse again. We were trying to save her to get to the sale barn to avoid a total loss, if she prolapses again I will be forced to put ther down.

It's one of those "neat" things that goes along with having Purebred Herefords. Culling has reduced prolapsing in the breed but it is a heritable trait nonetheless.

NOTE: I own no Hereford Cows.

 

[CattleAnnie]

Dun, I had heard about the sugar trick before...apparantly it draws the serum out from the swollen uterus, thus reducing it's size. However, I've never tried it as I didn't know how credible the tip was.

Blackpower, she does look like she might have some Herf in her background being as she's a tan white face, but for all I know about her she might be a Char/Simmie cross too. I'm not too sure that her genetics are what caused the prolapse so much as an error during surgery. Mysteries of the unexplained.

Ah, the joy of the salebarn and calving out the results. C'est la vie,eh?

Take care.