PROLAPSED ?

[CWshorthorns]

We had heifer that prolapsed not bad it didnt not have to be stitched but we were wondering if any one has ever had any luck with keeping them in there herd. As she looks like she will raise a calf with plenty of milk. Will this be something that she does every year or not. never had a heifer prolapse have had a few old cows and they got stitched and shipped to market after we weaned the calf. 

Thanks Chris and Wendy

 

[irh]

We had  a three year old Ali cow do the same thing this year.  She had to be stiched up though.  They tell us it is a 50 per cent chance that she will rebred.  She has shown one heat cycle though!  Which that is a good sign.  We are going too try to bred her at least two times, hopefully everything will be okay.  Just a gamble!

 

[HSV]

We had problems years ago when my Dad used a coupled of Hereford bulls, we had a whole string of prolapses. I think that a few of them re bred, but I wouldn't keep them as I think it is a heritable trait.

 

[xxcc]

This may sound harsh, but if she's "that good of a cow" and this was a misfortune due to how she calved, cut your loses by flushing her and sending her to the sale barn.  You will actually save yourself a lot of misery by sending her to the sale barn.  The problem with flushing is that, as mentioned, proloapsing is probably heritable.  Flushing would only propogate the problem.

Truthfully, the problem here is that someone else probably did not cull an animal that should have been culled and that's why your cow prolapsed.  If she were mine, I'd sell her when she has weaned her calf and the time is right or whatever.  Just lick your wounds and move on.  There are about 31,000,000 beef cows in the US right now. I'm sure you can find a good one to replace her.

Good luck.

 

[RAH]

I had a heifer prolapse last year (Had to be stiched). Gambled with her, she bred back and spit out a 92 lb bull this year with no problems. Based on on her calving date, she got bred around 45 days.

 

[DL]

Prolapsed what?? vagina? rectum? uterus? the recommendations and heritability would be different depending on what prolapsed.

xxcc if you have a heritable condition why would you recommend flushing the cow???

 

[kanshow]

re: flushing..  this is what xxcc said...

and this was a misfortune due to how she calved

Also said by xxcc ... 

Truthfully, the problem here is that someone else probably did not cull an animal that should have been culled and that's why your cow prolapsed.  If she were mine, I'd sell her when she has weaned her calf and the time is right or whatever.  Just lick your wounds and move on.  There are about 31,000,000 beef cows in the US right now. I'm sure you can find a good one to replace her

This is what I'd do, sell her and move on. 

 

[DL]

re: flushing..  this is what xxcc said...

and this was a misfortune due to how she calved

Also said by xxcc ... 

Truthfully, the problem here is that someone else probably did not cull an animal that should have been culled and that's why your cow prolapsed.  If she were mine, I'd sell her when she has weaned her calf and the time is right or whatever.  Just lick your wounds and move on.  There are about 31,000,000 beef cows in the US right now. I'm sure you can find a good one to replace her

This is what I'd do, sell her and move on. 

yeah - I see what xxcc said but I still don't know what she prolapsed - if she had a dystocia as a heifer and prolapsed her uterus this is not considered heritable and many of them rebreed and this does not generally recur. However, if she prolapsed her vagina this is considered heritable and will get worse over time - cow should be culled and not flushed. If she prolapsed her rectum this is not good cow should be culled....it all depends on what came out

 

[xxcc]

if she prolapsed because they were impatient and pulled too hard on a calf to get it out and then turned around and loaded her up with Oxytocin, Lutalyse and Penicillin, she may have strained too hard trying to clean and prolapsed.  That too me is not the cows' fault, but I would still probably send her to town.

I would venture to say it was not a rectal prolapse, if it was with the questions they are asking, I'm not sure what kind of cows they are running and how they breed them.

 

[OH Breeder]

We have had two cows that uterine prolapsed and never prolapsed again. Both were from long strained deliveries. They never had a problem settling AI after and rebreeding. Your vet can examine to make sure everything is intact. We didn't tear any vessels and both had to be sutured but never had an issue following. If the quality is there I do not see why you would have to send one to market. Our vet said exactly what DL said that Uterine prolapse is not an inheritable trait and they occur for a variety of reasons.

 

[CWshorthorns]

Thank you for the advice and it was a uterine prolapse and we didnt pull the calf when we went to check the the afternoon as we knew she was going to calf she had the calf and was prolapsed. again thank you

 

[DL]

Thank you for the advice and it was a uterine prolapse and we didnt pull the calf when we went to check the the afternoon as we knew she was going to calf she had the calf and was prolapsed. again thank you

If you like the heifer there is no reason not to keep her - likely she had a difficult time and just kept pushing - she likely won't do it the next time. It is not heritable.

 

[Shady Lane]

Thank you for the advice and it was a uterine prolapse and we didnt pull the calf when we went to check the the afternoon as we knew she was going to calf she had the calf and was prolapsed. again thank you

If you like the heifer there is no reason not to keep her - likely she had a difficult time and just kept pushing - she likely won't do it the next time. It is not heritable.

On what basis would you say that it is not heritable?

I would respectfully disagree.


If not heritable, why are their certain breeds that are MUCH more prone to prolapse then others?

I have owned two Shorthorn cows that prolapsed in my entire life, they were paternal sisters. Sound like a coincidence? I would think not, I would agree that it is HIGHLY heritable.

 

[DL]

Thank you for the advice and it was a uterine prolapse and we didnt pull the calf when we went to check the the afternoon as we knew she was going to calf she had the calf and was prolapsed. again thank you

If you like the heifer there is no reason not to keep her - likely she had a difficult time and just kept pushing - she likely won't do it the next time. It is not heritable.

On what basis would you say that it is not heritable?

I would respectfully disagree.


If not heritable, why are their certain breeds that are MUCH more prone to prolapse then others?

I have owned two Shorthorn cows that prolapsed in my entire life, they were paternal sisters. Sound like a coincidence? I would think not, I would agree that it is HIGHLY heritable.

There is a danger in assigning heritability to a small number of animals just because the same thing happened to both of them and they were related -

The preponderance of evidence suggests that UTERINE prolapse, especially uterine prolapse in first calf heifers associated with dystocia, is not heritable but is due primarily to a combination of factors related to excessive straining and increased abdominal pressure and alterations in electrolytes, especially calcium. If successfully treated the primary complication is slow to re breed. The risk of recurrence of a uterine prolapse with the next pregnancy is very low.

http://www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publications/PDF/FSA-3102.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1789938/pdf/canvetj00295-0037.pdf
http://www.cvhs.okstate.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=327&Itemid=388

From LSU  - http://www.vetmed.lsu.edu/eiltslotus/theriogenology-5361/problems_of_bovine_preg
Uterine Prolapse
    * Lay terms for this condition include "cast her wethers" and "lost her calf bed". This is a true emergency. This is an acute condition that is often associated with hypocalcemia and may also follow use of great force in fetal extraction. It is not hereditary.
    * Diagnosis is fairly obvious, caruncles can be observed on the uterus which is prolapsed through the vulva. The prolapse can involve other organs such as the bladder or intestines. In some cases, the uterine artery may rupture with fatal consequences.
    * The prognosis is relatively good if the uterus does not suffer too much trauma and is replaced properly. The chance of recurrence not great. If properly corrected, there are no serious long term effects, although there may be a slight increase in days open during that lactation.

 

[xxcc]

I disagree with DLs suggestion, like I said there are 31,000,000 beef cows in the US.  truly, why does she need an excuse for a second chance.

 

[DL]

I disagree with DLs suggestion, like I said there are 31,000,000 beef cows in the US.  truly, why does she need an excuse for a second chance.

Mike - you are certainly free to disagree and manage your herd like you see fit but the literature and the data suggest that this is a one time event related to dystocia and low calcium and that it should not recur - if they like her there is no reason not to keep her - if they don't like her it is an excuse to cull her. Decisions when you can count your herd on one hand are often different when your herd is 100  and besides, the difference btwn the other 30,999,999 beef cows and this one? They own her 

 

[OH Breeder]

I disagree with DLs suggestion, like I said there are 31,000,000 beef cows in the US.  truly, why does she need an excuse for a second chance.

We run a very small operation. 2 cows is an impact of 15% on our operation. 2  cows  of 100 is 2%. Quiet a difference. If I have a good female but she prolapsed from straining in labor I am going to try to make the best of it. I have had two that are still producing and have never had the issue again. Both were heifers when they prolapsed and now are 7 year old cows.

 

[CWshorthorns]

OH Breeder thanks for that info and you are right a small operation like mine a few cows lost would be an impact if we can get another calf out of with out any problem that would be wonderful. that is why i like this forum so much because when you ask a question with this many people on here you are able to see alot more of the pros and cons of doning things and we would like to thank each and everyone of you and the people behind the steerplanet forum as it is a great place and it does help me and my wife out a great deal with all the differant points to look at .
THANK YOU CHRIS AND WENDY

 

[irh]

I agree, we only run 12 head of cattle and when something like this happens to one of your good cows you just can't get rid of her at least you try to get her bred and hope for the best next calving season.