Special report on diseases of cattleUnited States. Bureau of Animal Industry
Science
Special report on diseases of cattle
United States. Bureau of Animal Industry
Cattle -- Diseases
_Impaction of twins in the passage._--It is very rare to have twins enter
the passages together so as to become firmly impacted. As a rule, each of
the twins has its own separate membranes, and as the water bags of one will
naturally first enter and be the first to burst, so the calf which occupied
those membranes will be the first to enter the passage and the other will
be thereby excluded. When the membranes of both have burst without either
calf having become engaged in the pelvis, it becomes possible for the fore
legs of one and the hind legs of the other to enter at one time, and if the
straining is very violent they may become firmly impacted. (Pl. XVIII, fig.
1.) The condition may be recognized by the fact that two of the presenting
feet have their fronts turned forward, while the two others have their
fronts turned backward. If the four feet belonged to one natural calf, they
would all have the same direction. By means of this difference in direction
we can easily select the two feet of one calf, place running nooses upon
them just above the hoofs or fetlocks, and have an assistant drag upon the
ropes while the feet of the other calf are pushed back. In selecting one of
the twins to come first several considerations should have weight. The one
that is most advanced in the passage is, of course, the first choice.
Though the fore feet of one are presented, yet if the head is not in place
the calf presenting by its hind feet is to be chosen as being less liable
to obstruct. Again, if for either calf one limb only is presented and the
other missing, the one presenting two feet should be selected to come
first. As soon as one calf has been advanced so as to occupy the pelvis the
other will be crowded back so that it will not seriously obstruct.
_Fore limbs curved at the knee--Limbs sprawling outward._--In this case not
only are the knees somewhat bent in a curve, but the calf has a position as
if it rested on its breastbone, while the legs were drawn apart and
directed to the right and left. The shoulder blades being drawn outward
from the chest and the elbows turned out, the muscles extending from the
trunk to the limb are unduly stretched and keep the knees bent and the feet
directed outward so as to press on the sides of the passages. They become
retarded in their progress as compared with the more rapidly advancing
head, and may bruise or even lacerate the walls of the vagina. It would
seem easy to rectify this by extending the legs, but the already tense and
overstretched muscles operate against extension in the present position,
and it is not easy to rotate the limbs so as to apply the shoulder flat
against the side of the chest. Under these circumstances a repeller (Pl.
XX, fig. 7) may be planted in the breast and the body of the calf pushed
backward into the womb, when the limbs will extend easily under traction
and the presentation becomes at once natural.
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