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Treatment of vaginal prolapse in cows and

buffaloes

Article in The Veterinary record · April 2006

DOI: 10.1136/vr.158.9.312-b · Source: PubMed

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THIS WEEK'S ISSUE

Comment 281
781
Is anyone awake?

News and Reports 282 Volume 158, Number 9 March 4, 2006

VMD suspends marketing
authorlsiJtions for cypermethrin
287
sheep nips
Avii)n influenzd reaches
domestic poultry in the EU 28.\
Liverpool to establish new
zoonosis centre 783
SQP assessment for VNs 284
Welfare issues predominate
285
, i1t /WS congress
....
287
Papers and Articles
Effects of stage and numher of
tumours on prognosis of dogs
-
with cutaneous mast cell tumours
(S. MURPHYANDOTHERS)
Efficacy of ceftiofur and flunixin
287
I
f
.
.
'"
,
in the early treatment of
bronchopneumonia
(D. J. H.llOY
in \/\leaners
.\NO UTllfRS)
291 \
Evaluation of the halth of ....

_ free-ranging greiiter rheas

(Rhea americona) in Ilrgentina
(l'v1. UH.\RT MOOO1I1[RS) 297

Short Communications JOJ

Effect of outdoor pig production
on the seroprevalence of
Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae Cestode egg in a free-ranging greater rhea (Rhea americana)
and lung lesions (see pp 297-303)
(S. N. BllIC,G. BllKEI) :303
Transitional cell carcinol1la of the
urinary bladder in a spectdcled
_. bear (T'ernurc/os D!I10/IJS)
(5. MURR'W"10 306

Gazette
OTHERS)

J08
Control of sheep scab
VMD suspends marketingauthorisationsfor cypermethrin
J09
letters sheep dips
Sheep scab control in UKflocks
309
(N. S.\RGISOt'.\NOOTlllRS)
Farm health planning (D. C.mow) 309
Confirmation of H5N J avian
influema in Africa
309
Guardians of animal welfare
(T.Jo'''''s ANOOTHERS)
Vets' role discussed at students' congress
IS policy and the badger culling
trials (J. G.\lll\GHERAriD OTHERS) 310

Hepatitis in English springer

sDaniels in the UK and Norway
,- (P. INMSOt' ,\JD OTHERS)
i\llaintenance of anaesthesia in
311
Mast cell tumours in dogs
311 Effects of stage and number of tumours on prognosis
practice (R. s. COG.\J A,'JD OJHERS)
I\pplications to study veterinary
312
medicine (D. WlllI",'S)
Environmental enrichment
3t2
for pigs (1" BRODRICK)
Ire<Jtment of vaginal prol<Jpse
in cows and buffaloes
312
(K. s. DiJlllOt' .\r:DOTHERS)
x
Classified Advertisements Journal of the British Veterinary Association
 LETTERS
I
l'
embracing the RCVSPractice Standards
Scheme.
R. Simon Cogan. E. Gerald
Valentine. Adam Deavin. The
Veteri''''I)' Clillic, 893 MatlChester Road,
Castletoll, Rochdale OL/5 9LIV
Applications to
study veterinary
medicine
SIR, - Mr Harley's letter and its accompa-
nying table (VR, February 18, 2006, vol
158, p 248) reveals that, in 2004, 873
applicants were accepted by UKveterinary
schools compared with 658 in 2000. This
is a 33 per cent increase on the numbers
of students who entered veterinary
schools at the turn of the millennium. If
a comparable proportion of students
from the IWOintakes become vets, two
questions beg to be asked. First, is this rise
destined to continue?; with the added
influx from Nottingham on the horizon
one thinks it might. Secondly, do we actu-
ally need this additional number of vet-
erinary surgeons, and if not, why has the
RCVSallowed this increase to occur? Has
it any power to stop it?
David Williams. 1 Croft Close, Histoll,
C/IIllbridgeCB49HU
Environmental
enrichment
for pigs
SIR, - I read with interest the paper on
the factors appearing to cause gastric
ulceration in finisher pigs by Amory,
MacKenzie and Pearce (VR, February 25,
2006, vol 158, pp 260-264), where they
describe the introduction of straw to the
finishing pens as enrichment. I consider
the introduction of enrichment to be of
the greatest importance as it provides the
pigs the wherewithal to use their rooting
instincts.
This reminded me of a paper written
25 years or so ago in an occasionally pub-
lished veterinary tabloid that I kept for
many years and which, alas, was lost on
my retirement. The name of the author
escapes me but the purport of his thesis
was the increased production in a pig unit
when the pigs were kept in rnmily groups,
again on straw. The enrichment was
greatly reinforced by the introduction of
a central scratching post in the pen. This
appeared to be relished by the incarcer-
ated inhabitants for social reasons.
I do not know whether the author had
read a short story, 'Old Razorback: by
Erl1est Thompson Seton, an expatriate
- ---
312
View publication stats
English artist and naturalist writing of
the wildlife of north-east America in the
1860s. He was one of the first ecologists
and ethologists to put pen to paper. In this
short story he describes the ethology of
wild pigs in the backwoods of Canada.
The unknown author had reproduced
exactly that which Seton had described in
the wild, but within an obviously much
reduced perimeter.
May I therefore suggest that the intro-
duction of a sturdy scratching post, sited
centrally in the pen, along with frequent
topping up of the straw bedding, might
reduce the incidence and severity of gas-
tric ulceration even further.
Tim Brodrick. The Watch HOlIse,
Call1ber, Rye, Enst Sussex TNJt 7SA
Treatment of vaginal
prolapse in cows
and buffaloes
SIR, - Vaginal prolapse is a commonly
encountered problem in pregnant dairy
animals, particularly during the last quar-
ter of gestation. Its incidence is higher in
buffaloes than in cows. Dhillon and Singh
(2006), after screening several indigenous
drugs, found seeds of Argyreia speciosa
(Fain'ih-l.un\Toh-ul.u..u.:
).I()C~llh'knuwn ns
'Samu~dar soak' ("nddadaru ,'n:>anskntr
To bc an cthxtl\'c rcn1Ca)'lor lms p,-uhlclh.
The study reported here was carried out
to evaluate the efficacy of seeds of A spe-
ciosa in the treatment of vaginal prolapse
in cows and buffaloes.
Ten buffaloes suffering from first- or
second-degree prolapse were recruited for
the study. Two animals were primiparous
and the rest pluriparous. In addition, one
nulliparous buffalo heifer, one crossbred
cow in third gestation and one non-preg-
nant cow showing fourth-degree prolapse
were also treated.
A total of 250 g A speciosa seeds were
divided into four equal doses of 62.5 g.
Each dose was crushed in a pestle and
mortar, adding a few drops of water until
the crushed material was a paste. The
crushed seeds were administered orally
once daily, in 250 g of wheat flour, until
each animal recovered, which was untillhe
prolapsed mass was no longer visible in a
sitting position.
There was 100 per cent success, with
most animals receiving three to four
doses. Recovery was spectacular, as after
the first dose there was a 25 per cent
improvement during the nexl 24 hours,
as judged by the reduction in size of the
prolapsed mass; the second dose reduced
the size by more than 60 per cent. Five
animals recovered fully with the admin-
istration of four doses of the medicine.
Recovery was rapid in six animals, includ-
ing the pregnant cow and the cow suffer-
ing from fourth-degree prolapse, which
needed only three doses. The nulliparous
buffalo heifer and an adult buffalo were
cured with only 1W0doses. No relapse was
reported and the animals calved nor-
mally.
Recently, manual replacement of the
prolapsed bovine uterus has been
reported (Baxter 2004, Hibberd 2004,
Munro 2004). The techniques applied by
these authors are sometimes cumber-
some, and may not be free from compli-
cations. All these approaches may help in
mild cases, but may not be effective in a .
vigorously straining animal.
Since the initial study, one more case
of prolapsed vagina in a buffalo has been
successfully treated. Initially, the pro-
lapsed mass was kepi in posilion by the
farmer applying a truss. Other routine
treatments were initiated br.the local vet-
erinarian, including administration of
calcium intravenously, antibiotics and
epidural anaesthesia, all of which failed
to control it. The buffalo was Ihen given
two doses of the crushed seeds of A spe-
ciosa as above; the prolapse resolved and
the animal delivered normally on its due
date.
A speciosa has been reported to con-
tain ergot alkaloids, such as ergotine and
ergotamine (Hylin and Watson 1965,
Sahu and Chakravarti 1971,Agarwal and
Rastogi (974). Ergot alkaloids in low
doses have been reported to tone up the
uterine tissues and increase their tonus
due to direct action on the smooth mus-
cles. So it may be that il stimulates vaginal
muscles and also potentiates the action of
calcium and phosphorus.
It would seem from these findings that
A speciosa seeds are an effective and eco-
nomic treatment for vaginal prolapse in
cows and buffaloes. These procedures also
eliminate the need for manual manipula-
tion of the genital organs.
K. S. Dhillon. B. B. Singh. H. Kumar.
M. S. Ba!. J. Singh. Departmelll of Original letters on all
Epidemiology alld Prevelllive Veterillary topics relating to the
Medicillc, CollegeofVeteri,lIIry Science, science, practice and
politics of veterinary
Pllnjab Agricllltllral University, Llldhiana,
India medicine and surgery
will be considered
for publication. They
References - -- ----- can be submitted by
AGARWAL. S. K. & RASTOGI, R. P. (1974) post. fax or e-mail
Ergotamine and other constituents of Argyr~;rJ and must give full
$1»«;OSll
sweet. Indian JOllrnalof Pharmacy 36. address details of all
118-119 authors as well as a
BAXTER. K. (2004) Replacing the prolapsed
bovine uterus. VeterinaryReconllSS. 344
contact telephone I
number. They
DHILLON, K. S. 8<SINGH. J. (2006) Preliminar)' should be typed.
observations on the treatment of vaginal pro-
lapsein buffaloes.PunjabVeln-inar)'
JOllorrJl (In
double-spaced and
addressed to the
I
press) Editor. Tbe
HIBBERD, R. C. (2004) Replacing the prolapsed
bovine uterus. Vt"tmllary'Record155,96
Veterinary Record.
7 Mansfield Street" I
HYLlN, J. N. 8<WATSON, D. P. (1965) Ergoline
London WIG 9NQ;
alkaloids in lropical wood roses. Scie"ce 148, fax (0)20 7637 0620;
499-500 e-mail: letters@ I
MUNRO. I. B. (2004) Replacing the prolapsed bva-edit.co.uk.
bovine uteros. VeterinaryR«on/l 55, 344
Letters may be
SAHU, N. P. 8<CHAKRAVARTI.R. N. (1971) shortened for I
Convolvulacaci constituents of the leaves of
publication
Argyrcia 'periosa. Phy,ochem;stry J0, 1949
I
The Veterinary Record, March 4, 2006
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