Repairing vaginal/uterine prolapse

[denoginnizer]

We have been running stiches all the way across the opening ,which works ok if the cow has allready calved , but I was wondering if there was away to stick up a prolapse so that the stitches wouldnt have to be removed in the event the cow hasnt calved yet?

 

[msscamp]

We have been running stiches all the way across the opening ,which works ok if the cow has allready calved , but I was wondering if there was away to stick up a prolapse so that the stitches wouldnt have to be removed in the event the cow hasnt calved yet?

I might be wrong here, but I'm thinking a previous vaginal/uterine prolapse who is pregnant is a good candidate for a c-section as the chances of her prolapsing again during delivery are pretty high.

 

[Fred]

I don't know any way you could do that. All you can do is keep an eye on her and cut the stitches when she starts looking close to calving. I had one prolapse this winter, probalby 2 months before she should calve. After about three weeks I cut the stitches and now I am waiting for her to calve. She is the first prolapse I ever had before calving.

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

She is the first prolapse I ever had before calving.

The vaginal prolapse probably occured last year, but it may not have been bad enough to see. Also bear in mind that vaginal prolapses and uterine prolapses are unrelated. Just because you have an animal with a vaginal prolapse, it does not mean that its going to uterine prolapse.

Anyway, the only way to hold a vaginal prolapse in is to stitch it as described, however you only need to do this if its fairly large, bigger than a softball, but smaller than a basketball. Or if you have magpies who are picking at it. Otherwise, its nothing to worry about at all. And, unless its large, say just under football size, it will move out of the way during birthing, and a C-section is not required.

Rod

 

[Texan]

I stitch mine up across just like you're talking about, usually with just two stitches across. If you don't take in too much 'meat' on one side, she can tear the stitches out if she calves when you're not around. Takes a little practice to figure out how much is enough to tear out, but still hold. Sorry that I can't really explain it. Usually, by the time you have to do the same one the second or third time, you've got it figured out.

 

[Brandonm2]

She is the first prolapse I ever had before calving.

The vaginal prolapse probably occured last year, but it may not have been bad enough to see. Also bear in mind that vaginal prolapses and uterine prolapses are unrelated. Just because you have an animal with a vaginal prolapse, it does not mean that its going to uterine prolapse.

Anyway, the only way to hold a vaginal prolapse in is to stitch it as described, however you only need to do this if its fairly large, bigger than a softball, but smaller than a basketball. Or if you have magpies who are picking at it. Otherwise, its nothing to worry about at all. And, unless its large, say just under football size, it will move out of the way during birthing, and a C-section is not required.

Rod

I must be missing something here. IF she prolapsed LAST YEAR why do you still have her THIS year????? I agree with MSScamp that last year's prolapse COULD be this year's C-section, so what cow in the world is worth going through this twice?

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

I must be missing something here. IF she prolapsed LAST YEAR why do you still have her THIS year????? I agree with MSScamp that last year's prolapse COULD be this year's C-section, so what cow in the world is worth going through this twice?

Brandon, a vaginal prolapse may not ever interfere with calving. Its simply something to keep an eye on. If its getting worse each year, then you cull the animal. However I've seen animals on their 8th calf that had prolapses on their first calves and it never got any bigger. There is some evidence to suggest its hereditary though, so a cow thats got a vaginal prolapse you may want to think twice about keeping heifers from her.

Rod

 

[msscamp]

I must be missing something here. IF she prolapsed LAST YEAR why do you still have her THIS year????? I agree with MSScamp that last year's prolapse COULD be this year's C-section, so what cow in the world is worth going through this twice?

Brandon, a vaginal prolapse may not ever interfere with calving. Its simply something to keep an eye on. If its getting worse each year, then you cull the animal. However I've seen animals on their 8th calf that had prolapses on their first calves and it never got any bigger. There is some evidence to suggest its hereditary though, so a cow thats got a vaginal prolapse you may want to think twice about keeping heifers from her.

Rod

Rod, I don't usually disagree with you, but in this case I do. Why go through the hassle? I cannot ever remember us having a uterine prolapse, but any vaginal prolapses did not stick around very darned long. Knock on wood, we have not had any kind of prolapse in years so that tells me we did something right somewhere. I realize that there are other factors besides heredity, but get rid of that one and everything seems to fall into place pretty good.

 

[denoginnizer]

She is the first prolapse I ever had before calving.

The vaginal prolapse probably occured last year, but it may not have been bad enough to see. Also bear in mind that vaginal prolapses and uterine prolapses are unrelated. Just because you have an animal with a vaginal prolapse, it does not mean that its going to uterine prolapse.

Anyway, the only way to hold a vaginal prolapse in is to stitch it as described, however you only need to do this if its fairly large, bigger than a softball, but smaller than a basketball. Or if you have magpies who are picking at it. Otherwise, its nothing to worry about at all. And, unless its large, say just under football size, it will move out of the way during birthing, and a C-section is not required.

Rod

I must be missing something here. IF she prolapsed LAST YEAR why do you still have her THIS year????? I agree with MSScamp that last year's prolapse COULD be this year's C-section, so what cow in the world is worth going through this twice?

I am not talking about my cow just cows in general.

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

Rod, I don't usually disagree with you, but in this case I do. Why go through the hassle? I cannot ever remember us having a uterine prolapse, but any vaginal prolapses did not stick around very darned long. Knock on wood, we have not had any kind of prolapse in years so that tells me we did something right somewhere. I realize that there are other factors besides heredity, but get rid of that one and everything seems to fall into place pretty good.

I should be a little more specific. I won't keep an animal with a vaginal prolapse that needs to be sewn up or could cause calving trouble. Actually, if I spot a minor one, and notice that next year its any bigger at all, that animal goes away. Keeping them around is just asking for trouble.

But I do have a couple old girls out there who had very minor vaginal prolapses on their first calves (I suspect a little harder birth than is normal around here) and they've never gotten bigger. Both would be in my top 10 cows. Even though I suspect it was from a difficult birth, I won't keep their heifers. They're in with the terminal cross animals.

A cow that uterine prolapses on the other hand gets the axe as soon as the calf is weaned.

Rod

 

[msscamp]

Rod, I don't usually disagree with you, but in this case I do. Why go through the hassle? I cannot ever remember us having a uterine prolapse, but any vaginal prolapses did not stick around very darned long. Knock on wood, we have not had any kind of prolapse in years so that tells me we did something right somewhere. I realize that there are other factors besides heredity, but get rid of that one and everything seems to fall into place pretty good.

I should be a little more specific. I won't keep an animal with a vaginal prolapse that needs to be sewn up or could cause calving trouble. Actually, if I spot a minor one, and notice that next year its any bigger at all, that animal goes away. Keeping them around is just asking for trouble.

But I do have a couple old girls out there who had very minor vaginal prolapses on their first calves (I suspect a little harder birth than is normal around here) and they've never gotten bigger. Both would be in my top 10 cows. Even though I suspect it was from a difficult birth, I won't keep their heifers. They're in with the terminal cross animals.

A cow that uterine prolapses on the other hand gets the axe as soon as the calf is weaned.

Rod

Ok, that makes a little more sense and I can now see your reasoning. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[jcarkie]

i had one last year and i will not mess with that again. it is not worth it. last year i had one the vet sewed it up and she would not let me cut the stitches and i lost the calf. i shipped her and another one that had a bulge,

 

[denoginnizer]

i had one last year and i will not mess with that again. it is not worth it. last year i had one the vet sewed it up and she would not let me cut the stitches and i lost the calf. i shipped her and another one that had a bulge,

That is the reason I am wondering if there isnt a better way to fix a prolapse .

 

[dun]

i had one last year and i will not mess with that again. it is not worth it. last year i had one the vet sewed it up and she would not let me cut the stitches and i lost the calf. i shipped her and another one that had a bulge,

That is the reason I am wondering if there isnt a better way to fix a prolapse .

Shallow stiches so that they can tear out is the only way I know of.

dun

 

[Kelly]

They don't always prolapse again with each calf. I had one that had a breech calf and had a vaginal prolapse 3 weeks after calving. Stitched her up for a couple weeks. The next year she calved just fine with no problems. Just my own experience. How about using a weaker thread? There again it is figuring out what is strong enough but not too strong.

 

[AngusSenorita]

I know that in sheep for rectal prolapse you inject 1 cc sugar water in 1'o clock, 2' o clock ... to 12 in a circle around the anus. This creates scar tissue which will tighten it up

You might be able to do this for vaginal prolapse but you might want to sue 2.5-3 cc instead

 

[Roadapple]

One way vet did one of mine with uterine prolapse was to take a plastic pin, shaped like an intake valve and from the inside push it thru to the outside then put plastic washer over the pin. Pin had 4 or 5 holes in shaft, slid washer down against hide and put cotter key in nearest hole to plastic washer, then using side cutters, clipped off excess pin. Still have cow 8 calves later.

 

[certherfbeef]

Off topic here but I never keep offspring from a cow that has prolapsed. They all end up in someone's freezer pretty quickly.