The health of cows, especially during the prenatal and postnatal periods, largely depends on the conditions of their housing and feeding, on how mobile they are. Violation of at least one of these criteria may entail a change in the anatomical functions of the genital organs, problems of pregnancy, the appearance of diseases and pathologies, one of which will be discussed in this article.
What is this pathology
Vaginal prolapse - protrusion or exit of the vaginal walls beyond the genital slit. It can be complete when the protrusion of the internal organ is completely outward, and partial, when part of the vaginal wall bulges in the form of a fold.
As a rule, it occurs in cows in the second half of pregnancy, less often - after childbirth.
Find out why the cow does not get up after calving.
Causes of vaginal prolapse in a cow
This problem occurs in animals for such reasons:
- relaxed condition of the ligaments, fixation apparatus of the genital organs: stretching of the wide uterine ligament, uterine mesentery, decrease in the tone of the tissue of the perineum, with increased intra-abdominal pressure
- violation of the diet and feeding regime of a pregnant cow;
- difficult childbirth, during which there is a need to extract the fetus by strong tension, provided dryness of the birth canal;
- postpartum prolapse may occur as a result of continued attempts during fetal extraction and the rupture of soft tissues that hold the vagina.
- lack of full and regular walking, especially in the autumn-winter period, when animals are in a confined space in a stall;
- sloping floor in the case of tethered content;
- violation of the body of the animal: depletion or obesity, which occurred on the background of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- mineral starvation, vitamin deficiency;
- prevalence of light fermentation feed;
- old age;
- multiple pregnancy.
Did you know? Before the birth of a calf cow instinctively needs privacy. Often, the desire to be alone is so great that during exercise on a fenced pasture, cows are able to break the fence and leave.
How to recognize
This pathology can be determined visually by observing the cow. When the animal is in a lying state, a bright red formation of mucosal tissue can be observed in the upper part of the genital slit. Its size will depend on the degree of prolapse and can vary from a small crease to the size of a goose egg or a human fist, in rare cases even more. When getting up, education can be set off independently.
Partial
This inversion is manifested in the form of protrusion of the upper and lower walls of the vagina, resulting in a fold of mucous tissue, which protrudes from the genital slit. In the pelvic region, a bright pink, red color of the vulva can be observed.
The initial stage of the disease is characterized by the prolapse of the vaginal walls only in the supine position. If the relaxation of paravaginal fiber continues, the falling out fold is no longer drawn back into the standing cow.
Did you know? In Australia, the number of cows exceeds the number of inhabitants.Partial prolapse of the vaginal walls does not affect the process of childbirth, and upon its completion the fold folds back into the pelvic cavity and straightens naturally. It is worth noting that partial prolapse of the vagina can occur in individual individuals regularly, during each subsequent pregnancy, and return to normal after childbirth. If the pathology occurs 2 days before calving, the folded fold should be thoroughly washed out.
Complete vaginal prolapse
This type of disease can manifest itself as a result of a gradual aggravation of the situation in case of partial precipitation, or may arise abruptly some time before delivery. Full loss has the appearance of a red or scarlet cone with a blunt end, which is the cervix.
It will be useful for you to read about how to choose the right cow, how to milk a cow to get high milk yields, how to feed a dairy cow, and also to find out if milking machines are good for cows.
Over time, the mucous membrane acquires a blue-red color (the result of venous stagnation of blood), on its loose surface, abrasions, cracks that can bleed. A mucus plug that protects the fetus during pregnancy is easily observed in the cervix.
There is a violation of the process of defecation and urination. The animal is disturbing. There may be attempts. Against the background of complete prolapse of the vagina, in some animals, a reversal of the bladder may occur through the urethra.
In this case, a double swelling can be observed through the vulva: the upper one - the vagina, and the lower, smaller one - the bladder. At the last one can observe the openings of the ureters, through which dropping of urine occurs. It threatens to hit and the development of infection in the body of the animal. This type of pathology requires immediate medical treatment.
Treatment of abnormalities
Therapy for prolapse of the vagina depends on the degree of pathology and well-being of the animal.
Important! The prognosis for recovery of the cow with incomplete prolapse of the vagina is favorable, with full - the situation should be treated with caution and attention.
First aid
In case of partial inversion, which appeared on the eve of calving, the treatment is as follows:
- prevention of mechanical damage of the dropped out mucous fold;
- dietary correction: the prevalence of concentrated, easily digestible food in food, while excluding coarse and bulky food;
- control of rectal overflow. In the event of a large accumulation of feces in the blind bag, it is necessary to remove them mechanically;
- bandaging and tail garter;
- changing the inclination of the floor in the stall towards the head to reduce the level of intra-abdominal pressure in the pelvic region.
Veterinary assistance
If the vagina is completely lost, it is necessary to seek medical help, as this acute condition requires treatment, not preventive measures.
The medical measures that a veterinarian can take to eliminate the pathology are as follows:
- Hygiene procedures. Washing out the dropped mucous with a warm solution of potassium permanganate in a ratio of 1: 1000 or 2-3% solution of lysol, alum, creolin, tannin. Cracks and erosion on the mucous are treated with iodoglycerin.
- The introduction of epidural anesthesia, which will then need to be repeated every 2 hours several times to prevent attempts.
- In the absence of attempts, the doctor wraps his hand in a sterile gauze napkin and, clenching his fist, gently presses the vaginal part of the cervix. This procedure allows you to right the vagina.
Read more about what diseases can hurt cows and how to treat them.
Lack of attempts contributes to the rapid disappearance of mucosal edema.
To prevent re-dropping before the moment of delivery, the cow can:
- put a temporary purse string with rubber rollers;
- enter into the fiber near the vagina on both sides of 100 ml of 0.5% solution of novocaine on alcohol 70 °.
Important! Reduction of vaginal prolapse should be done only by a professional veterinarian. Proper treatment and elimination of the pathology will help preserve the life and health of the cow and the fetus.
Prevention
The following measures are taken to prevent vaginal prolapse:
- regular walking of pregnant cows, but not more than 4 hours in the summer and 2 hours - in the stall;
- content in the stall without a slope, with a dry litter;
- complete and balanced nutrition, taking into account the duration of pregnancy with free access to drinkers;
- food fortification with mineral and fortified supplements;
- exclusion from the diet of highly fermented feed;
- elimination of stressful situations.
Proper care for a cow during pregnancy, the creation of good conditions for the maintenance, proper and balanced nutrition will help to preserve the health of the animal and its future offspring.