Bovine Caslicks
Keywords: tear, calving, injury, vulva, bovine, surgery, CaslicksCaslicks operations (vulvoplasty) are usually perfumed on cows as a result of calving injuries. In unusually valuable animals with excessive pelvic tilt and poor perineal conformation, Caslicks may be also performed despite the potential heritability of conformation; a situation akin to that in mares. Splanchnoptosis due to heavy genital tracts in pluriparous cows complicates decision-making in such cases.
In this case (Figure 1) the vulva lips and part of the the vestibule were torn during calving, rendering a young cow with otherwise normal conformation, at risk of genital infection. In the author's opinion, this is adequate justification for the operation in a food producing animal.
Figure 1. Caslicks closure of the torn vulva lips in a first-calf cow. Image size: 960 x 1136 px
The operation is performed in the identical manner to that in mares. However, the procedure is simplified by the fact that epidural anesthesia is simple in cattle, obviating the need for infiltration of the vulva lips with local anesthetic
Dehghani, S.N. et al. 2011. Treatment of peunomovaginitis in dairy cattle by Caslick operation. Research opinions in animal and veterinary sciences. 1:349-351
Prado, T.M. et al 2016. Surgical Procedures of the Genital Organs of Cows. Vet Clin Food Anim. 32:727-752
