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Veterinary Science Development 2012; volume 2:e8 Perspectives of fetal dystocia of abnormal calvings in buffalo in various reports and found it to be between 5.6-12.6% in Correspondence: Govind Naravan Purohit, in cattle and buffalo Murrah, 8.94% in Jaffarabadi and between 4.6 Department of Veterinary Gynecology and to 5.4% in Surti buffalo. Obstetrics, College of Veterinary and Animal Govind Narayan Purohit, Pramod Kumar, The reasons for such a low incidence in buf- Science, Rajasthan University of Veterinary and Kanika Solanki, Chandra Shekher and falo could be due to anatomical differences Animal Science, Bikaner, Rajasthan, 334001 Sumit Prakash Yadav between cattle and buffalo. Buffalo have a more India. E-mail: [email protected] Department of Veterinary Gynecology capacious pelvis, larger area of ileum, a free and easily separable fifth sacral vertebra,14 easily and Obstetrics, College of Veterinary Key words: buffalo, cattle, dystocia, fetal oversize, and Animal Science, Rajasthan University dilatable small sized vaginal canal, and elongat- fetal maldisposition. 15 of Veterinary and Animal Science, ed and wide apart vulvar lips. These anatomical differences mean that the first and second Conflict of interests: the authors report no con- Bikaner, Rajasthan, India stages of labor in the buffalo can easily be com- flict of interests. pleted within 20-70 min.14,16,17 The causes of dystocia have been described Received for publication: 30 September 2011. Revision received: 2 November 2011. from a number of perspectives; either based on Accepted for publication: 28 November 2011. Abstract analysis of a large number of calving records in dairy8,18-20 and beef cows9,10,21,22 or on the basis This work is licensed under a Creative Commons We review the causes of fetal dystocia in of clinical findings.23-25 Most reports of buffalo Attribution NonCommercial 3.0 License (CC BY- cows and buffalo. Two fetal causes are distinct come from clinical data.26-28 A large number of NC 3.0). fetal oversize and fetal abnormalities. Fetal risk factors for dystocia have been identified. 2,4 ©Copyright G.N. Purohit et al., 2012 oversize is common in heifers, cows of beef It has also been recognized that the introduc- Licensee PAGEPress srl, Italy cattle breeds, prolonged gestations, increased tion of large sized beef bulls like Charolais and Veterinary Science Development 2012; 2:e8 calf birth weight, male calves and perinatal Simmental10,21,29-31 and the Holstein Friesian doi:10.4081/vsd.2012.e8 fetal death with resultant emphysema. Fetal bulls in dairy cows18,32,33 has resulted in an abnormalities include monsters, fetal diseases increased incidence of dystocia, probably due only and fetal maldispositions, and it is difficult to to an increase in the body weight of the calf deliver such fetuses because of their altered and the change in its shape. Such effects have reviewed according to fetal oversize and fetal shape. Although monsters are rare in cattle, a not been documented for buffalo. A common abnormalities. large number of monstrosities have been finding in most studies is that dystociause is more reported in river buffalo; yet also here, overall frequent in the primiparous heifers3,9,19,20,34,35 Fetal oversize incidence is low. Diseases of the fetus result- and that fetopelvic disproportion is the main The most common cause of dystocia in cat- ing in dystocia include hydrocephalus, ascites, cause of dystocia in heifers, whereas fetal tle is fetopelvic disproportion.46,48 This is most anasarca and hydrothorax. The most common maldispositions are common in pleuriparous common in heifers when the fetus is of normal cause of dystocia in cattle seems to be fetal cows.33 The two major determinants of size for its breed but the maternal pelvis is not maldispositions, of which limb flexion and fetopelvic disproportions are calf birth weight big enough, or the fetus is unusually large and head deviation appear to be the most frequent. and maternal pelvic size. 33,35,36 Many authors cannot be delivered through a pelvic canal of We provide a brief description of the manage- have described the causes of increased fetal normal size.46 Mating between various breeds ment of dystocia from different causes in cat- weight6,8,10,19,37 and attempts to reduce the of cows may result in an increased incidence tle and buffalo. A case analysis of 192 and 112 incidence of dystocia have also been men- of dystocia due to fetopelvic disproportion.49,50 dystocia in cattle and buffalo, respectively, at tioned.35,38-41 This study analyzes the causes of Dystocia rates vary enormously between indi- our referral center revealed that dystocia is fetal oversize and the fetal abnormalities caus- vidual bulls of the same breed and this differ- significantly higher (P<0.05) in first and sec- ing dystocia in cattle and buffalo, and their ence is many times greater than that which ond parity cows and buffalo, and that dystocia management. A critical evaluation is also exists between breeds.50 Similar differences of fetal origin is common in cows (65.62%) but made of the type of cases presented at our are possibly also seen in buffalo. Birth weight, less frequent (40.17%) in buffalo. In buffalo, referral center. double muscling, maternal nutrition and pelvic the single biggest cause of dystociaNon-commercial was uter- capacity all affect fetal delivery and must be ine torsion (53.57%). Fetal survival was signif- taken into consideration. Dystocia in double icantly (P<0.05) higher both in cows and buf- muscled cows is caused by the modified calf falo when delivery was completed within 12 h Fetal dystocia morphology that is induced by the muscular of second stage of labor. hypertrophy.51 Thus, cesarean deliveries are Studies on cattle indicate that the fetus is required for 89.5% of the parturitions in the major cause of dystocia23-25,42,43 and abnor- Belgian Blue cows.52 Excessively large sized mal fetal presentations at birth contribute to 1- fetuses can occur with prolonged gestation Introduction 5% of total dystocia cases.22,44,45 In contrast, periods and such conditions are likely to occur fetal origins of dystocia are less frequent in with prolonged progesterone therapy, especial- Dystocia is defined as delayed or difficult buffalo.27 ly during mid- or late gestation.53 Oversized calving, sometimes requiring significant Broadly speaking, the fetal origins of dysto- fetuses cannot be delivered normally and, human assistance.1-3 It has a considerable cia in cattle can be divided into those caused therefore, the decision to relieve dystocia impact on production and future reproduction by excessive fetal size relative to the maternal either by fetotomy or cesarean delivery would of dairy4-8 and beef9,10 cows. It generally has a pelvis (fetopelvic disproportion) and those depend on the condition of the fetus and/or the lower incidence in buffalo but still has a consider- caused by abnormalities of the fetus (fetal dam. Grossly oversized fetuses in a narrow able impact on buffalo production (1-2%).11,12 monsters, fetal diseases and fetal maldisposi- birth canal must be removed by cesarean sec- However, Khan et al.13 analyzed the incidence tion).46,47 Thus, in this study, fetal dystocia is tion. An attempt can be made to remove dead [Veterinary Science Development 2012; 2:e8] [page 31] Article oversized fetuses in a relaxed birth canal by compared to Friesian cows.64 Therefore, birth After such prolonged cases, abdominal con- fetotomy but if this fails, caesarean section is weight is a less frequent cause of dystocia in tractions are weak and intermittent for a few the last resort. buffalo. However, there are no data available hours and then cease completely.27,79 Fetid There are various reasons for fetal oversize, comparing breeding of heavier breeds, like watery discharge may be seen and the vaginal such as calf birth weight, calf sex, twins, and Murrah or Nili Ravi, with the smaller breeds, mucus membrane is usually dry, swollen and fetal death and emphysema. Some of these are like Surti, regarding the incidence of dystocia inflamed. The uterine wall may be tightly con- described here. and calf birth weight. tracted around the fetus and the cervix may also be contracted, especially in cows and less Calf birth weight Sex often in buffalo. The fetus is dead and swollen, A large number of studies conducted on Male calves are known to require more and the crepitating feel is readily palpable. It dairy3,8,19,35 and beef10,54 cows point out that assistance at calving compared to female may often be difficult to palpate the position the calf birth weight, especially in 2-year old calves.18,19,21,28,34 In addition, gestations with and presentation of the fetus due to swollen first calving heifers, significantly affects the male calves are longer, which also influences limbs. Fetal emphysema is found fairly fre- difficultly in calving. In Holsteins, a 1 kg the risk of dystocia.68 Holstein male calves had quently in buffalo but reports are available only 69 increase in calf birth weight increased the a 40.0% higher incidence of dystocia. The for river buffalo.79 Invasion by microorganisms probability of dystocia by 13.0%.19 The breed of rate of dystocia for male and female calves dif- from the vagina is the common cause of the sire and the dam, along with genetic traits fers between heifers and cows.70 A few stud- emphysema in dead fetuses. of both parents, play the most important role in ies22,30 have, however, observed that sex of the In these cases, prognosis is reserved determining birth weight.36 Since birth weight calf had little influence on dystocia in cows.

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