Application of an innovative technique for unilateral ovariectomy in dairy cows

Laparoskopische Ovariektomie bei einer Mutterkuh

Eine 13,25 Jahre alte Grauvieh-Mutterkuh wurde im Anschluss an eine Dystokie mit der Bitte um Kastration des Tieres an der Klinik für Wiederkäuer der Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen vorgestellt. Die Kuh hatte bis zu diesem Zeitpunkt bereits 10 lebende Kälber geboren und wurde im Herdenverband mit Bulle auf der Weide gehalten. Da der Besitzer keine weitere Nutzung der Kuh zur Zucht beabsichtigte, dennoch aber der Wunsch zur weiteren Haltung des Tieres bestand, stellte er die Kuh an der Klinik vor. Die Vorstellung des Tieres erfolgte 6 Wochen nach der Kalbung mit Kalb bei Fuß. Das Kalb war von gutem Allgemeinbefinden, gutem Entwicklungs- und Ernährungszustand und wies keine klinischen Auffälligkeiten auf. Die Kuh zeigte sich sowohl in der allgemeinen als auch der speziellen gynäkologischen Untersuchung ohne besondere Befunde. Im Rahmen der transrektalen Untersuchung konnte der Uterus des Tieres unter der Hand versammelt werden und es lag keine Füllung des Organs vor. Der Uterus war schlaff und die Uteruswand wies keine Auffälligkeiten auf. Die Ovarien waren links 3×2x2 cm und rechts 3,5 × 2,5 × 2 cm groß. Es waren links keine Funktionsgebilde und rechts einzelne Follikel palpierbar. Die vaginoskopische Kontrolle ergab keine von der Norm abweichenden Befunde. Aufgrund der physiologischen Puerperalsituation wurde die Kastration der Kuh als laparoskopische Ovariektomie von der linken Flanke aus am stehenden Tier durchgeführt. Die Kuh wies in den Tagen nach der Operation ein ungestörtes Allgemeinbefinden sowie keinerlei Schmerzhaftigkeit bei der transrektalen Palpation der Amputationsstümpfe auf und konnte 2 Tage nach endoskopischer Kastration in den Heimatbestand entlassen werden. Anhand des hier vorgestellten Falles soll zum einen die Technik der Endoskopie-gestützten Ovariektomie demonstriert werden. Andererseits soll gezeigt werden, dass die Kastration von Kühen ein probates Mittel darstellt, Kühe, die nicht mehr für die Zucht genutzt werden sollen, weiterhin im Herdenverband halten zu können. Dies erscheint insbesondere für Mutterkuhhalter und Hobbyhalter von zunehmendem Interesse zu sein.

Postoperative Observation of Spaying with the Silicon Ring on the Ovaries in Heifers: A Retrospective Study in 28 Cases

Simple Summary

Because the estrus in cattle is thought to be energy-consuming if the animals are not planned to breed, spaying in cattle has recently been applied to improve daily weight gain and meat quality. However, postoperative changes in ligation-spaying method with the silicon ring to ovaries via transvaginal methods in heifers have not been clearly identified. This retrospective study presented that heifers spayed with this method exhibited no estrus signs at the pubertal age and the ligated ovaries disappeared within a month post-surgery due to ischemic necrosis. Whereas ovarian steroid hormone levels in spayed heifers were not changed following the puberty, luteinizing hormone level at the pubertal age was higher than unspayed controls. Although carcass weight and yield were similar between groups at the pubertal age upon slaughtering, the spayed animals presented higher marbling degree than that of controls. These results may contribute to develop new management strategies for livestock.

Abstract

Although spaying prepubertal heifers has routinely been conducted to control cattle herd and improve meat quality, understandings of the postoperative changes following new spaying methods with the silicon ring on the ovaries via colpotomy remain limited. Therefore, as a retrospective study, 28 cases of spayed heifers were reviewed for postoperative changes after employing this method, with inclusion criteria including complete medical records for clinical observation, ultrasonography, measuring reproductive hormones, and tracking slaughter records. No mortality and heat signs at the pubertal age postoperatively occurred in spayed animals. On ultrasonography during rectal examination, the ovaries were enlarged without any folliculogenesis from one week, while massive ovarian edema appeared from two weeks, and ovaries were no longer palpable at four weeks post-surgery. In hormones, whereas estrogen and progesterone levels did not change from prepubertal to pubertal age in spayed animals, luteinizing hormone levels progressively increased during this period and reached a higher level at pubertal period than unspayed controls. Although carcass weight and yield were similar between groups upon slaughter at pubertal age, the spayed animals presented higher carcass quality (marbling degree) than that of controls. These results may contribute to develop herd management strategies, including control of estrus in cattle.

Application of a laparoscopic technique for vasectomy in standing horses

This report describes a technique for standing laparoscopic vasectomy in stallions through a prospective descriptive study. A preliminary study was carried out with two experimental intact male horses and subsequently the procedure was performed in two clinical cases. These horse owners want to keep their animals in the most possible natural way, preserving its stallion behaviour in a herd without generating offspring. The horses were sedated and restrained in stocks and laparoscopic vasectomy was performed using three portal sites in both paralumbar fossae recording surgical times. A 4-cm segment of each ductus deferens (DD) was occluded with laparoscopic vessel sealing devices and subsequently excised. Semen collection was performed using an artificial vagina before the laparoscopic procedure and at 15 and 60 days postoperatively. Sexual behaviour and spermiogram were analysed. Two months after vasectomy, control laparoscopy was performed in experimental horses to assess the surgical site. Bilateral vasectomy could be performed without intraoperative complications in a mean surgical time of 20 min per DD. Success of the procedure was confirmed in all cases by azoospermic ejaculates 60 days after vasectomy. This is the first time that the technique for laparoscopic vasectomy is described in horses.