Uterine Prolapse: A True Medical Emergency
One of your best cows just delivered a big calf and now has “lady parts” hanging out her back end. Just how urgent a problem is this?
If what you observe hangs down to the cow’s hocks and is covered in deep-red caruncles – button-like features that can range in size from a quarter to as big as your fist – your cow has a uterine prolapse. Essentially, the uterus has turned inside-out and has been expelled from the cow’s body.
It’s a true medical emergency requiring quick intervention from your veterinarian, says Dr. Meredyth Jones, associate professor, Oklahoma State University and owner of Large Animal Consulting and Education.
“It’s about the worst thing that can happen to a cow,” Jones says.
A prolonged delivery, a large calf, and even low blood calcium levels can contribute to a uterine prolapse, she says. Most uterine prolapses occur immediately after birth and nearly always within 24 hours of delivery.
Stay Where You Are
Don’t try to haul the cow into your local veterinary clinic or move her any further than absolutely necessary. Keep the cow, along with her calf, calm and contained in a small area, advises Dr. Lainie Kringen-Scholtz, associate veterinarian at Twin Lakes Animal Clinic, Madison, S.D.
If the cow/calf pair is on pasture, you need to either walk them slowly to a pen or figure out how to confine them to a smaller area in the field. Some dairy producers use ropes or fence panels to create a small, temporary pen.
“The whole goal is to keep the cow from moving too much and snapping the uterine artery, hemorrhaging and dying. Those arteries are fragile, so it’s a real risk,” says Kringen-Scholtz.
One caution, Jones adds, is do not put the animal in a head gate. “If she’s standing but weak you run the risk of her going down and choking,” she explains.
Steps To Increase Survival Rates
If the cow is down and calm, consider wrapping the uterus in a towel or blanket to keep it clean and prevent any further trauma to it.
“When your veterinarian arrives, he or she will spend some time cleaning the uterus and then begin the process of returning it to the inside of the cow. This is quite a chore and must be done quickly and carefully,” Jones says.
Once the uterus is replaced, your veterinarian will likely provide the cow with medications to prevent infection, help the uterus to contract down normally, and control pain and inflammation, Jones says. Supportive therapies, such as intravenous or oral fluids also may be given to improve her chances of a full recovery.
Unfortunately, at the time that the uterus is replaced, it is impossible to know if internal bleeding is occurring.
“We replace the uterus in hopes that the arteries are intact, but it is possible for the cow to decline after the uterus is replaced due to hemorrhage and there is little that can be done about that,” Jones says. “Keeping the cow protected from cold, wind, and mud all help increase her chances of survival.”
If your veterinarian is able to replace the uterus and the cow survives in good condition, Jones says she wouldn’t necessarily recommend culling the animal.
“The good news is that a uterine prolapse is not considered a heritable condition and a cow that prolapses this year is no more likely to prolapse next year than any other cow in your herd,” she says.
