[Fetotomy in cattle with special reference to postoperative complications--an evaluation of 131 cases]. / Die Fetotomie beim Rind unter besonderer Berücksichtigung postoperativer Komplikationen--eine Auswertung von 131 Operationen.

In the course of this retrospective study on fetotomy of cattle 131 operations were evaluated. The case studies put the cattle 2 to 96 hours into labour (average 13 hours). The cows that exhibited post-operative complications were on average 19.2 hours into labour prior to the operation. Those which had a normal puerperium however were only 8.4 hours, on average, in labour. 79% of the animals showed depressed general health on admission, 8% of which were unable to stand. The main cause of the dystocia was the incorrect position/orientation of the dead foetus (38.9%) as well as relative or absolutely too large calves (25.2%). In 14.5% of the cases the offspring were malformed causing the dystocia. 28 of the protracted births were due to both maternal as well as foetal causes. Mortality of the cows lay by 6.9%, irregularities in the puerperal period ran at 67.2%. The age of the mother did not seem to influence the post operative events. The most common complication was retained placenta (n = 49; 37.4%) followed by lochiometra (n = 21; 16%), vaginal wounds and pelvic phlegmons (each n = 16; 12.2%) and neurotripsy (n = 6; 12.2%). Of these puerperal complications the pelvic phlegmon required the longest post-operative care (14.3 days, retention secundinarum was cured in 13 days, lochiometra in 8.8, cows without complaint were treated for 3.8 days after the operation). The most important factors for the post-operative prognosis are the time in labour and any trauma of the soft birth canal which influence the forming of pelvic phlegmons.

[Case report: (erythro)keratoderma variabilis in a newborn foal]. / Fallbericht: (Erythro)keratodermia variabilis bei einem neugeborenen Warmblutfohlen.

A case of congenital (Erythro)keratoderma variabilis in a newborn foal is described. The clinical and histological findings are presented.

[Acid-base status in newborn calves during the first days of life considering different states of vitality]. / Zum Säure-Basen-Status bei neugeborenen Kälbern in den ersten Lebenstagen unter Berücksichtigung differenter Vitalitätssituationen.

The aim of this study is to describe the differentiations of the acid-base status in bovine neonates during the first 96 hours of life. Due to the short intervals in the taking of blood samples, noticeable fluctuations in the acid-base status during the first minutes and hours of life of newborn calves were documented. Altogether, 25 matures and eutrophe calves of the DSB, DRB and DFV breeds were provided by the clinic for this study. Apart from an immediate post natum clinical interpretation of the vital signs in the neonates-using the APGAR-score-the pH value, current Base Excess and the CO2 pressure were simultaneously ascertained. Further continuous evaluation of the acid-base status was subsequently followed in the first phase of adaptation. For that alone, twelve blood samples were taken from the vena jugularis within the first 60 minutes after parturition. Until the end of the examination period on the fourth day of life, the tests amounted to 26 measurements altogether per experimentee. Due to the concrete results ascertained from the initial clinical and laboratory observations, the experimentees could be divided into distinct classes of vitality. The acid-base status of all the calves deteriorated during the first minutes of life, indicating that the pH value and Base Excess fall clearly under the initial level in all aspects of vitality directly post natum. On average the minimum pH values are reached between the third and 15th minute of life and remain between 0.019 and 0.096 below the initial values during this period. A varying rapid increase of the pH value follows, together with a balancing out of the Base difference. Despite isolated individual variations as the acid-base status develops, the lowering of the pH values in the first minutes of life is assessed as being a normal biological phenomenon. Deviations from this occur rarely (8%) and do not conform to the norm. The pH value stabilization in connection with this crucial early postnatal phase occurs to such a high degree that, without stagnation, on average all experimentees show pH values between 7,270 and 7,300 after 180 minutes of life-regardless of which vitality group they belong to. After reaching this common value at the end of the third hour of life, the further development of the ph values and the consequential resulting parameters in all three vitality groups are similar. A stagnation of the rising pH value between the 4th and 12th hour of life was established during the examination. Moderate stabilization then set in after this phase. Between the 24th and 36th hour of life all experimentees reached an average highest pH value of 7,400. Until the end of the examination period, however, this then dropped slightly to values between 7,380 and 7,395.

[Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma in a lamb of the Texel breed]. / Ein embryonales Rhabdomyosarkom bei einem Texelschaflamm.

The subject presented here is a hitherto undescribed case of embryonic rhabdomyosarcoma found in one particular lamb. The neoplasm was localized in the left hemisphere of the head and exited in the regio supraorbitalis. After anatomical and histopathological examination of the tumor, together with immunochemistry tests, an embryonic rhabdomyosarcoma could be positively diagnosed. This is the main type of tumor that occurs in the soft tissue of children, but its appearance in other species has until now not been extensively documented.

[Clinical examinations of gilts with puerperal septicemia and toxemia]. / Klinische Erhebungen bei Sauen mit puerperaler Septikämie und Toxämie.

In a clinical examination on 78 gilts suffering from feverish puerperal illness the signs were documented. 42 gilts without puerperal disturbances out of the same farms (n = 22) were used as a control. Data for statistics were recorded in minute-books, listing 38 parameters, partly divided in three or four subunits. Within the first 24 hours after parturition 60% of the probands were registered, the other gilts up to the 72nd hour after parturition. 42.3% of the patients beared for the first or second time. Duration of partus averaged more than six hours in 85.9% of patients with consequent puerperal illness, whereas probands of the same age in the control group finished parturition in less than three hours (78.8%; p < or = 0.01). Frequency of obstetrical intervention measured 27% in the group of patients, in the group of probands 9.5% (p < or = 0.05). Gilts with following puerperal illness delivered 1.1 piglets more than healthy individuals (p < or = 0.05) and showed an increased stillbirth rate (p < or = 0.01). Signs of clinical interest in puerperal illness were increase of body temperature (p < or = 0.01), cardiac rate (p < or = 0.01) and respiratory frequency (p < or = 0.01). Approximately 75% of the patients showed anorexia, 66% abnormal faecal consistency. 24.4% of the diseased animals showed exclusively signs of mastitis, in 29.5% there was a combination of mastitis and inflammatory affection of the genital system to be diagnosed, in 46.1% of the cases a solitary infection of the reproductive tract was to be stated. Predominantly E. coli, followed by Staphylococcus spp. and Streptococcus spp. were isolated from the genital tract. The results of this study emphasize the clinical necessity to differentiate between isolated mastitis and puerperal septicaemia respectively toxaemia in cases of feverish puerperal illness. Puerperal septicaemia and toxaemia can, but do not have to be associated with mastitis in gilts.

[Program for early detection of illness level in foals during the first 24 hours of life]. / Programm zur frühzeitigen Erkennung von Krankheitszuständen bei Fohlen in den ersten 24 Lebensstunden.

Basing on exact investigations of normal behaviour and abnormalities in newborn and up to 24 hours old foals a program for evaluation, comprehending exogeniously judgable criteria, was developed. It aims at a quick recognition of aberrations in behaviour. The program includes a score, which allows early diagnosis of even subtile abnormalities. As a result, a veterinary surgeon should be consulted if the score exposes a critical situation, so that therapy can be started in time. Furthermore informations about investigations on blood-glucose- and immunoglobulin-G-concentration in relation to neonatal foal diseases are given.