Vaginal or Rectal???

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

When you are "concerned" that a cow "might" have a problem, but she hasn't started actually calving, do you check her thru the vagina or the rectum?

 

[bandit80]

If the cow is showing signs of stress, labor, blood, etc. I do a vaginal palpation. If cow just seems to be off, and I think she needs checked, I will do a rectal palpation. The second has only happened once, cow had calf coming backwards, and calf had been dead for a couple of days.

 

[MikeC]

Won't do any good to do a vaginal until the cervix has dilated. But then again, the cow doesn't usually show any signs of problems until dilation.

An abnormal presentation can be detected by a rectal. With less chance of infection.

 

[Double R Ranch]

I check rectally until I know that the cow is fully dialated and that there is a problem with the positioning of the calf.
Double R

 

[msscamp]

When you are "concerned" that a cow "might" have a problem, but she hasn't started actually calving, do you check her thru the vagina or the rectum?

Vagina.

 

[Chris H]

Won't do any good to do a vaginal until the cervix has dilated. But then again, the cow doesn't usually show any signs of problems until dilation.

An abnormal presentation can be detected by a rectal. With less chance of infection.

Yep, what Mike said.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

That's why I asked. Seems like there is a lot of comments about checking cows vaginally - hubby always checks rectally first. ONLY time he goes in vagina is when we KNOW we are going to assist in calving.

 

[fourstates]

Jeanne, I know that your hubby is right. Everything should be checked rectally first, you can sure check the position of the calf better and should be able to judge is you need to go into the vagina. The vagina is considered "sterile", (even if it doesn't look that way to us), and should be kept out of unless there is a true emergency.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Just thought it needed to be pointed out to the "newbies" so they don't just automatically be contaminating the "sterile" situation.

 

[Ryder]

Jeanne, I know that your hubby is right. Everything should be checked rectally first, you can sure check the position of the calf better and should be able to judge is you need to go into the vagina. The vagina is considered "sterile", (even if it doesn't look that way to us), and should be kept out of unless there is a true emergency.

Most definently.