Dystocia in Cattle: Prospective Analysis in Daily Veterinary Practice (N = 573 Parturitions)

Chantal Bühler,Jürg Hüsler,Gaby Hirsbrunner

doi:10.4236/ojvm.2018.812021

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this prospective study was to collect cases of dystocia in 4 rural veterinary practices in Switzerland over 12 months, focusing on calf vitality. Methods: During 12 months, data of 573 assisted parturitions were collected. The age of the cows involved ranged from 2 to 17 years (median 5.2 yr) with a median gestation length of 288 days. Results: Overall, 651 calves were born (61.2% male). 481 were single and 85 were twin births. For 7 calves, no data were available. As to calf vitality: 66.1% of the calves were alive, 25.4% dead, 5.1% weak and 3.4% died during the assisted parturition process. The percentage of dead calves was higher in twins (43.5%) than in singletons (18.9%). The vitality was influenced by gestation length, parity and the time elapsed since the rupture of the amniotic sac. In this study, calf vitality was neither influenced by sex of the calf nor breed of the parents. A uterine torsion was found in 31.8% of the cases with the direction of the rotation anti-clockwise in 94%. Twins were twice as often in posterior presentation as single-born calves (31.4% versus 15.6%). Conclusion: Calf vitality was influenced by parity, gestation length and time from amniotic sac rupture to veterinary intervention.

Highlights

Eutocia or normal calving describes a physiological parturition process without human help after a normal gestation length [1]
The vitality was influenced by gestation length, parity and the time elapsed since the rupture of the amniotic sac
Calf vitality was influenced by parity, gestation length and time from amniotic sac rupture to veterinary intervention

Summary

Introduction

Eutocia or normal calving describes a physiological parturition process without human help after a normal gestation length [1]. The incidence of dystocia ranges from 3% to 40% of all calving [5] [6] [7] and is influenced by multiple factors: age at first calving, breed, sire, nutritional status, housing, calving management of farmer and assisting veterinarian [3]. Mee et al (2011) described an overall incidence of calving assistance and dystocia of 31.1% and 6.8%, respectively [7]. Though dystocia rates internationally may appear to be low, calving assistance rates are higher, varying between 10% [8] and >50% [9]

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