A rare case of adventitious placentation (diffuse semi-placenta) in a Jersey cow.

Placental abnormalities more frequently occur during pregnancy of somatic cell clones and may lead to pregnancy loss or dystocia. Adventitious placentation, or diffuse semi-placenta, is determined by the development of areas of accessory placentation between the cotyledons due to the abnormal growth of placentomes.After a full-term pregnancy, a 3-year-old Jersey heifer was referred for dystocia which resulted in the delivery of a dead calf. The cause of dystocia was found to be foetal malposition, while the placenta was physiologically expelled after dystocia resolution.Grossly, cotyledons appeared reduced in size and number in one placental horn, while the surface of the other horn was covered with microplacentomes. Numerous villous structures without trophoblastic coating were highlighted after histopathology. The dominant sign was an inflammatory reaction. The findings were consistent with inter-cotyledonal placentitis, which led to adventitial placentation.Diffuse semi-placenta compensates for the inadequate development of placentomes and may occur as a congenital or acquired defect. The outcome depends on its severity: in the worst scenario, pregnancy may not proceed beyond midterm and may be complicated by hydrallantois. In the case under examination, the dimensions of the cotyledons (from 2 to 10 cm) allowed for the natural course of pregnancy.

Dystocia in cattle and horses: a compilation of historical artworks dedicated to Professor Gerhard Sand (1861-1921).

Professor Gerhard Sand (1861-1921) was the first professor of veterinary obstetrics at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Copenhagen, Denmark. He began teaching the theory and practice of obstetrics to veterinary students in 1887 and spent the following years until his death in 1921 developing the veterinary obstetrics teaching program. During this period, veterinary obstetrics was established as an independent discipline at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University. Professor Sand's teaching had a major impact on the field of veterinary obstetrics in Scandinavia. He was devoted to teaching veterinary obstetrics and produced a number of obstetrical illustrations, some of which showed different causes of dystocia, mainly fetal malpresentation in cattle and horses. Professor Sand created the illustrations with the intention of publishing a handbook of obstetrics, but due to illness and an early death, this work was never completed. This compilation of historical artworks of dystocia in cattle and horses includes some of these illustrations and is published to honour Professor Sand, with the intention of making his illustrations widely available for the teaching of veterinary obstetrics.

Dystocia frequency and causes in horses with pregnancy disorders or a history of dystocia: A prospective study.

Dystocia typically presents a life-threatening condition for both the mare and the foal. This prospective long-term study aimed to ascertain whether mares with prior pregnancy disorders or a history of dystocia were at a higher risk of experiencing subsequent dystocia in comparison to those without such medical antecedents. To achieve this goal, the authors analysed 207 parturitions and 164 mares over a 10-year period. Of these, 57 were associated with pregnancy disorders or prior dystocia (Group 1), while 150 parturitions followed uneventful pregnancies in mares that had not yet experienced dystocia (Group 2). Mares in Group 1 were significantly more likely to develop dystocia than those in Group 2 (p = .0180; odds ratio = 2.98). Foetal causes of dystocia were more prevalent than maternal causes (p < .0389). Maternal mortality stood at 0.5%, and neonatal mortality reached 1.9%. The results demonstrate that mares are at significantly higher risk of developing dystocia after experiencing pregnancy disorders or parturition complications during previous pregnancies, emphasizing the need for systematic birth monitoring.

Climatic and calf-related risk factors associated with failure of transfer of passive immunity in Holstein calves in a hot environment.

This retrospective observational study aimed to assess the effect of temperature-humidity index (THI) at calving and in the last trimester of pregnancy and calve-related factors affecting passive transfer of maternal immunoglobulin using Brix refractometry in Holstein calves. Blood samples from 4411 Holstein calves from a single large dairy farm in spring 2022 were used. A subset of data containing 6318 calvings was used to determine the effect of climatic conditions on the occurrence of agammaglobulinemia. Risk factors predictive of failure of passive transfer (FPT) were calculated using multiple logistic models. Females were 1.4 times more likely not to have FPT (56%; Brix% > 8 equivalent to ≥ 10 g/L IgG) than males (47.2%). Calves born as singles increased the likelihood of not presenting FPT (52.6%) than calves born as twins (42.9%). Calves from cows with no dystocic delivery had a lower risk for FPT (odds ratio = 2.3) than calves from cows with dystocia. Agammaglobulinemia was 1.5 and 1.8 times more likely to occur in calves with THI ≥ 80 and ≥ 82 in the last trimester of gestation and at calving, respectively, than in calves not experiencing heat stress. Agammaglobulinemia was twice as likely to occur in male than in female calves. Calves with birth weight ≥ 37 kg and gestation length ≥ 275 kg were less likely to present agammaglobulinemia than lighter calves and calves with shorter gestation periods. This study raises questions for management practices in Holstein calves undergoing in utero heat stress and around calving to avoid agammaglobulinemia.

The impact of beef sire breed on dystocia, stillbirth, gestation length, health, and lactation performance of cows that carry beef × dairy calves.

In the United States, it is becoming common for dairy herds to mate a portion of cows to beef semen to create a value-added calf. The objectives of this study were to determine if dystocia risk, stillbirth (SB) risk, gestation length (GL), probability of early-lactation clinical disease events, early-lactation culling risk, or subsequent milk production differ between cows that carried calves sired by different beef breeds and those that carried Holstein-sired calves. Records from 10 herds contained 75,256 lactations from 39,249 cows that had calves with known Holstein or beef breed sires from the years 2010 to 2023. Calf sire breeds with ≥150 records included in analyses were Holstein, Angus, Simmental, Limousin, crossbred beef, and Charolais. Additional beef sire breeds that existed in lower frequency (n < 150 records) were condensed together and classified as "other." Because GL is a continuous variable, sire breed inclusion criteria were reduced to n ≥ 100 records; thus, Wagyu sires were included as their own breed group. Some records did not contain all variables of interest, thus models included fewer lactations depending on variable. Binomial generalized mixed models evaluated dystocia risk (defined as calving ease score ≥4 or calving ease score ≥3), SB risk, clinical health event risk (defined as lameness, mastitis, metabolic, reproductive, other, or any health events occurring within 60 d in milk [DIM]), and early culling risk (defined as death or culling within 60 DIM). Gestation length and test-date milk, fat, and protein yields were evaluated with mixed models. Calves sired by crossbred beef bulls had a greater probability of being stillborn (5%; 95% confidence interval lower = 2.9% upper = 9.0%) than those sired by Holstein bulls (2%; 95% confidence interval lower = 1.5%, upper = 2.7%). All beef-sired calves increased GL from that of Holstein-sired calves (277 ± 0.15 d) with Limousin (282 ± 0.81 d) and Wagyu-sired calves (285 d ± 0.79) resulting in the longest GL. The risk of dystocia, clinical health events, and early-lactation culling did not differ by calf sire breed nor did subsequent milk and component yield. Generally, carrying a calf sired by the beef breeds included in this study did not negatively affect the dairy cow.

Clinical applicability of external and internal body dimensions in predicting dystocia in late-gestation Holstein-Friesian heifers.

The objective of this study was to determine the clinical applicability of maternal intrapelvic area (PA) and selected morphometric parameters that can be measured before parturition in predicting dystocia in dairy heifers. The measurements were performed in 374 late-gestation Holstein-Friesian heifers. Inner pelvic height and width were measured using a pelvimeter, and PA was calculated. The heifers were monitored continuously around the time of calving, and calving difficulty was categorized as: unassisted calving (UC), slight assistance (SA), considerable difficulty (CD) and veterinary assistance (VA). Calving performance was analysed with the χ2 test, and the effect of body dimensions on the course of parturition was evaluated by one-way analysis of variance. Dystocia (CD + VA) was predicted with the use of the classification tree method. Dystocia accounted for 29.14% of all deliveries. The percentages of stillbirths and retained placenta increased (p < .01) with increasing calving difficulty. Average PA immediately before parturition was smaller (p < .01) in group VA (223.2 cm2 ) than in group UC (253.3 cm2 ). According to the classification tree, dystocia may occur (74.07% odds) in heifers with PA < 254.2 cm2 and a rump angle <5.68° before parturition. Measurements of heifer's cannon circumference and sire's body size improve the accuracy of dystocia prediction.

The association between calf birth weight and the postcalving performance of its dairy dam in the absence of dystocia.

The objective of the study was to quantify the association between the birth weight of a calf and the subsequent performance of its dairy dam in the absence of any recorded calving assistance. A total of 11,592 lactation records from 4,549 spring-calving dairy cows were used. The association between a series of quantitative cow performance metrics (dependent variable) and calf birth weight (independent variable) was determined using linear mixed models; logistic regression was used where the dependent variable was binary. Nuisance factors in the models were calf sex, heterosis coefficient of both the cow and calf, dry period length immediately before the birth of the calf, cow age at calving relative to the median cow age per parity, breed proportion of the cow, cow live weight between 100 and 200 d of lactation relative to the mean cow weight per parity, and contemporary group. Calf birth weight was included in the model as either a continuous or a categorical variable. Primiparous and multiparous cows were analyzed separately. Mean (SD) calf birth weight was 36.2 (6.8) kg. In primiparous cows, calf birth weight was associated with milk yield in the first 60 d of lactation, calving to first service interval, calving body weight (BW), and both nadir BW and body condition score (BCS). In multiparous cows, calf birth weight was associated with total milk, fat, and protein yield in the first 60 and 305 d of lactation, peak milk yield, total milk solids, both calving and nadir BW, and BCS loss from calving to nadir. Relative to primiparous cows that gave birth to calves weighing 34 to 37 kg (i.e., population mean), their contemporaries who gave birth to calves that weighed 15 to 29 kg produced 9.82 kg more milk in the first 60 d of lactation, had a 2-d shorter interval to first service, and were 8.08 kg and 5.51 kg lighter at calving and nadir BW, respectively; the former was also 0.05 units lower in BCS (5-point scale, 1 = emaciated and 5 = obese) at nadir. Relative to multiparous cows that gave birth to calves that were 34 to 37 kg birth weight, multiparous cows that gave birth to calves that were 15 to 29 kg yielded 59.63 kg, 2.44 kg, and 1.76 kg less milk, fat, and protein, respectively, in the first 60 d of lactation; produced 17.69 kg less milk solids throughout the 305-d lactation; and were also 10.49 kg lighter at nadir and lost 0.01 units more BCS to nadir. In a separate series of analyses, sire breed was added to the model as a fixed effect with and without calf birth weight. When calf birth weight was not adjusted for, 60-d milk yield for multiparous cows who gave birth to calves sired by a traditional beef breed (i.e., Angus, Hereford) produced 59.63 kg more milk than multiparous cows who gave birth to calves sired by a Holstein-Friesian. Hence, calf birth weight is associated with some subsequent dam performance measures; however, where associations do exist, the effect is biologically small.

Pelvic dimensions and occurrence of dystocia in Black-and-White and Holstein-Friesian heifers.

The Black-and-White (BW) breed, which until recently had dominated in Europe, was replaced by the Holstein-Friesian (HF) breed. As a result, the incidence of dystocia has increased. Dystocia occurs most frequently in heifers, and it is associated with high calf weight and/or too narrow pelvic openings in heifers. The aim of this study was to evaluate retrospectively the effects of pelvic dimensions and rump angle on calving ease in two cattle breeds. The research was carried out in four barns where BW and HF cattle were used. The course of parturition was evaluated in 317 heifers (BW, n=169; HF, n=148) based on direct observations. Calves were weighed, external and internal pelvic measurements were performed (using the Rice pelvimeter), and rump angle was determined in heifers. Based on the course of parturition, heifers of both breeds were divided into easy calving (EC) and difficult calving (DC) groups. The frequency of DC was 24.3% in HF heifers and 13.1% in BW heifers. In comparison with DC heifers, EC heifers had a larger pelvic area, in particular the internal dimensions of the bony pelvis, and a higher rump angle. In comparison with BW heifers, HF heifers had a smaller rump angle, a narrower pelvis and a lower ratio of pelvic area to calf weight. High dystocia rates in HF heifers could result from a relatively large fetus size and a less preferable pelvic size and rump angle. High variation in the internal pelvic dimensions in HF heifers indicates that the incidence of dystocia can be reduced through selection for a larger pelvic size and the optimal rump angle.

[Morbidity and mortality of mare and foal following dystocia - a literature review]. / Morbidität und Mortalität von Stute und Fohlen nach Dystokie ­ eine Literaturübersicht.

Dystocia represents a life-threatening condition for mare and foal. Morbidity and mortality rates due to a difficult birth, as well as the influence on fertility of the mare were analyzed, based on a review of publications. This was aggravated by the fact that no standardized diagnostic code was used and that most publications do not clearly describe how extensively the examinations were performed beforehand. Retentio secundinarum is the most common complication caused by dystocia. Other complications are injuries to the soft birth canal and the colon. These occur more frequently after surgical obstetrics than following assisted vaginal deliveries. Performing a fetotomy increases the risk of injury to the birth canal. After a caesarean section, the risk for retained placenta increases significantly. In order to evaluate the possibility of medical progress over time, mortality rates of mare and foal were investigated and divided in surgical and conservative obstetrics within the period of 1970-1990 and 1991-2021. The average maternal mortality rate following caesarean section amounted to 18% in the time period between 1970 and 1990 and 14% between the years from 1991-2021. After fetotomy, the two determined mortality rates amounted to 29% and 10% for the time between 1970 and 1990. In the period 1991-2021, the rate varies between 4% and 44% with an average mortality rate of 14%. Following controlled vaginal delivery, the average mortality rate is 9%. Literary sources were however only available for the current time period and range between 6% and 29%. The morbidity and mortality rate of foals is very high. Following caesarean section on average 53% of foals are dead on delivery, with a range of 13-79% in case reports from the years 1991-2021. The number of dead foals in the context of conservative obstetrics is of a similar scale. Postnatal foal diseases are largely due to intrapartum hypoxia during dystocia and obstetric injury. In consequence of a difficult delivery, mares experience reduced fertility. In numerous cases this however may be compensated by pausing from further breeding in the same year. The number of cases evaluated in this context however remains too small to advocate any recommendations for breeding following incidents of dystocia.

[Comparison of different resuscitation methods for newborn calves after dystocia]. / Vergleich verschiedener Erstbehandlungsmethoden bei neugeborenen Kälbern nach Schwergeburten.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the use of hand-powered vacuum pumps and the suspension by the hind legs within the scope of resuscitating newborn dystocial calves. MATERIAL AND METHODS: For this study, data were collected from 60 dystocial calves of different breeds. Various reanimation methods were employed to these calves immediately after birth. In group I (n=20), the hand-powered vacuum pump from HK-Rheintechnik (Neuwied, Deutschland) was used to remove mucus and amniotic fluid from the respiratory tract. In group II (n=20), the McCulloch Medical (Elmwood, England) hand-powered vacuum pump was used to remove mucus and amniotic fluid from the respiratory tract. In group III (n=20) 10 to 12 liters of cold water were poured over the neck of 20 calves immediately after birth. In addition, the calves were suspended by the hind legs via a gate or a pole, so that the head hung downwards vertically. The calves' Time to Sternal Recumbency (T-SR) of the calves was measured following the different resuscitation procedures in order to assess their vitality. In addition, the calves were examined segmentally at one-hour post natum. Furthermore, the calves were examined clinically on the seventh day of life. In addition, we investigated whether confounding variables such as calf sex, dam parity, obstetric intervention, and the season affected T-SR. RESULTS: T-SR ranged from 1.5 to 10.5 minutes. There was no difference between the three initial treatment procedures (p=0.07). However, the T-SR of calves treated with a hand-powered vacuum pump tended to be shorter. No statistically significant difference between the pulse rates (p=0.73), respiratory rates (p=0.13), and rectal temperature (p=0.65) of the animals in the three groups on the first and seventh day of life was evident. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of the diseases up to the seventh day of life between the individual study groups. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The present study was able to show that the use of hand-powered vacuum pumps is at least equivalent to suspending calves. When using hand-powered vacuum pumps, the girth of the muzzle must be taken into account, as this can limit their utility.

Ultrasonography for the evaluation of pregnancy in the female canine.

Ultrasonography can be used for canine pregnancy diagnosis, determination of gestational age, assessing foetal maturation and readiness for birth, monitoring high-risk pregnancies, assessing foetal distress, evaluating bitches in dystocia and foetal gender determination. As the quality and resolution of ultrasound machines have improved, the clinician's abilities to utilize ultrasound as an integral part of reproductive evaluation of all aspects of pregnancy have exponentially increased. This paper reviews the use of ultrasonography throughout pregnancy and the advances made in the interpretation of captured images.

Association between dam and calf measurements with overall and fetopelvic dystocia in Holstein heifers.

We investigated the relationship between dam's pelvic and calf's dimensions with dystocia due to fetopelvic disproportion in the Holstein breed and estimated risk factors and dystocia probability. For this purpose, external pelvic measurements were performed in 402 heifers 15 ± 11 (1-38) days ante-partum and specific conformation measurements were obtained from their calves 1.7 ± 1.2 post-partum. Dystocia was defined as the inability of the heifer to complete parturition spontaneously within 120 min after the appearance of the amnion with normal presentation, position and posture or as having definite obstetrical obstacles within 60 min. Overall and fetopelvic disproportion dystocia incidence was 10.4% and 5.2%, respectively. Heifer measurements mainly influenced overall dystocia, whereas calf conformation was related solely with fetopelvic dystocia. Specifically, heifers with a small pelvis (hip width <49.95 cm, pelvic inlet area <333.2 cm2, pelvic volume <7799.2 cm3) had 2.8 to 3.5 times greater incidence of overall dystocia (19.0-20.8%) compared to heifers with a larger pelvis (incidence of 7.0-7.6%). Regarding calf factors, sex (male calves), body weight, chest circumference and fetlock joint circumference significantly increased the odds of experiencing dystocia due to fetopelvic disproportion compared with female, lighter or smaller calves. In a backward elimination model with independent variables treated as continuous, an area under the ROC curve of 0.66 regarding the prediction of overall dystocia based on heifer pelvic length, and of 0.64 for the prediction of fetopelvic dystocia based on fetlock joint circumference was found. The combination of the two variables in one model improved the ROC area to 0.71 regarding dystocia due to fetopelvic disproportion, reaching acceptable level of discrimination. Our findings indicate that dystocia due to fetopelvic disproportion in heifers is mainly influenced by the fetal side. Additionally, the estimation of pelvic dimensions of the dam before parturition and specific conformation characteristics of the calf during parturition, especially fetlock joint circumference, could aid obstetricians and herdsmen regarding dystocia probability and parturition surveillance.

Temporal variation and risk factors associated with reproductive disorders in Hardhenu (Bos taurus × Bos indicus) dairy cattle.

This study aimed to investigate the incidence and effect of non-genetic factors on reproductive disorders in the Hardhenu cattle population over a period of 11 years (2010-2021). The study included a total of 1340 cattle for calculating the incidence of reproductive disorders and analysed the occurrence of different reproductive disorders. In the present study, retention of placenta had highest frequency, accounting for approximately 18.36% of the incidence, followed by repeater cows (11.19%), metritis (6.27%), dystocia (0.60%), anestrus (0.45%) and prolapse (0.37%). Chi-square analysis revealed a significant relationship between the year and the incidence of reproductive disorders (p < .05). Logistic regression analysis of temporal variability of reproductive disorders was also analysed, with an increase in the odds from 2014 to 2020, peaking in 2017-2018 and 2018-2019. Logistic regression analysis showed that season and parity did not significantly influence the incidence of reproductive disorders. However, period of calving had a significant impact. Cows calving between 2008 and 2014 had a significantly lower odds ratio (0.13, 95% CI: 0.06-0.30), indicating a decreased risk, while those calving between 2014 and 2017 had a higher odds ratio (0.59, 95% CI: 0.38-0.90), suggesting an increased risk of reproductive disorders. Compared to parity 3, parity 1 (1.344, 95% CI: 0.869-2.08) and parity 2 (1.193, 95% CI: 0.768-1.851) showed highest odds ratio. Similarly, the odds ratio for winter (1.64, 95% CI: 0.93-2.89), summer (1.71, 95% CI: 0.89-3.26) and rainy season (1.64, 95% CI: 0.92-2.91) was higher as compared to autumn. The present results provided valuable insights into the incidence of various reproductive disorders and associated risk factors in Hardhenu cattle. These results can be utilized for targeted interventions to enhance reproductive health and overall productivity in dairy cattle.

Canine Pregnancy, Eutocia, and Dystocia.

Veterinary care of breeding dogs begins before a breeding takes place, during prebreeding consultations, through matings, gestation, and delivery of newborns.

Potential for automatic detection of calving in beef cows grazing on rangelands from Global Navigate Satellite System collar data.

Dystocia is one of the main causes of calf death around calving. In addition, peripartum deaths may occur due to other factors, such as weather or predators, especially in the case of grazing animals. Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) tools aimed at the automatic detection of calving may be useful for farmers, allowing cow assistance in case of dystocia or checking the condition of the cow-calf pair after calving. Such PLF systems are commercially available for dairy cows, but these tools are not suitable for rangelands, mainly due to power and connectivity constraints. Thus, since most commercial PLF tools for rangelands are based on Global Navigate Satellite System (GNSS) technology, the objective of this study was to design and evaluate several indicators built from data gathered with GNSS collars to characterise their potential for the detection of calving on rangelands. Location data from 57 cows, 42 of which calved during the study, were curated and analysed following a standardised procedure. Several indicators were calculated using two different strategies. The first approach consisted of having indicators that could be computed using the data of a single GNSS collar (cow indicators). The second strategy involved the use of data from several animals (herd indicators), which requires more animals to be monitored, but may allow the characterisation of social behaviour. Several indicators, such as the length of the daily trajectory or the sinuosity of cow path, showed significant differences between the pre- and postpartum periods, but no clear differences between calving day and previous days. Herd indicators, such as the distance to herd centroid or to the nearest peer were superior in terms of the detection of calving day, as cows showed isolation behaviour from 24 hours before calving. Relative indicators, i.e., the value of cow or herd indicators for the calving cow in relation to the average value of the same indicators for its herdmates, provided additional information on cow behaviour. For instance, according to the relative indicator for the change in daily trajectory, pregnant cows had a differential exploratory behaviour up to 14 days before calving. In conclusion, data from commercial GNSS collars proved to be useful for the computation of several indicators related to the occurrence of calving on rangelands. Some of those indicators showed changes from baseline values on the day before calving, which could serve to predict the onset of parturition.

Etiology behind canine uterine inertia: Role of uterine expression of MLCK4, MYH2, and PKC genes.

Dystocia is an obstetrical emergency, and primary uterine inertia (PUI) is the major etiological reason among the more prevalent maternal causes in dogs. The present study involved the relative expression analysis of genes associated with myometrial contraction in medium-sized dog breeds with uterine inertia. Dogs without any progress in the parturition process even after four hours of the onset of labor and the absence of uterine contractions were considered to have complete primary uterine inertia (CPUI, n = 9). Dogs that had expelled at least one fetus and made no further progress in parturition in the absence of active uterine contraction were considered to be experiencing partial primary uterine inertia (PPUI, n = 6). Dogs with the fetal cause of dystocia (FCD), i.e., obstructive dystocia, were taken as the third (n = 7) group. Uterine tissue samples were collected during cesarean section in each group, RNA was isolated, and the relative expression of myometrial ACTA2, ACTG2, MLCK4, MYH2, and PKC genes was analyzed. The MLCK4 gene expression was downregulated in CPUI (P ≤ 0.05) and PPUI (P ≤ 0.01) when compared to FCD. The MYH2 gene expression was downregulated in PPUI in comparison to CPUI (P ≤ 0.01) and FCD (P ≤ 0.05). The PKC gene expression was upregulated in PPUI in comparison to FCD and CPUI (P ≤ 0.05). The downregulation of MLCK4 and MYH2 gene expressions recorded in PPUI indicated the possibility of myometrial defects. The possibility of myometrial defects was also observed in CPUI, but to a lesser degree, suggesting other etiologies.

Association of precalving serum NEFA concentrations with postpartum diseases and reproductive performance in multiparous Holstein cows: Cut-off values.

BACKGROUND: High concentrations of NEFA relative to a defined reference or 'cut-point' values before calving can predict the risk of specific or collective periparturient disease events. OBJECTIVES: A field-based cohort study was conducted to evaluate the value and critical points of serum nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) at the precalving time to predict the occurrence of postpartum diseases and reproductive performance in dairy cows. METHODS: Blood samples were taken from 521 high-yielding dairy cows at 1 week (±3 days) before calving and NEFA levels were measured. Health and reproduction information of each cow includes dystocia, retained placenta, milk fever, metritis, mastitis, pregnancy in the first insemination and pregnancy in the first two inseminations, and culling in the first 60 days of lactation and milk production. RESULTS: Our results show that there are significant relationships between precalving NEFA with the probability of pregnancy at the first and the first two inseminations after calving. The cows that had NEFA concentrations less than 0.5 mmol/L at the last week of pregnancy were 3.51 and 3.15 times more likely to be pregnant at first insemination and the first two inseminations, respectively. Also, our results showed that there are significant relationships between precalving NEFA concentration and the likelihood of dystocia and milk fever. The probability of dystocia and milk fever occurrence were 2.56 and 1.91 times greater in those cows that had NEFA concentrations more than 0.3 mmol/L, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The present results indicated that Increasing NEFA during the prepartum period could adversely affect the reproductive efficiency of dairy cows.

Radiographic measures of the pelvis differ in British shorthair cats with dystocia and eutocia.

The size of an animal's pelvis can have a substantial impact on the ease or difficulty of giving birth, which can vary depending on the breed. Radiography is a medical imaging technique that is commonly utilized in clinical cases to assess pelvic dimensions. The present retrospective, observational study was designed to evaluate pelvimetric differences in radiographic images of British Shorthair (BS) cats with dystocia and eutocia. Pelvimetric values (linear distance, angle, area, height/width) for ventrodorsal and laterolateral radiographic images were recorded in 15 BS cats with dystocia and 15 BS cats with eutocia. Statistical analysis of the obtained measurement values was performed. When the pelvimetric data were examined overall, it was seen that mean values, except the PL (pelvis length) measurement, were higher in cats with eutocia than in cats with dystocia. Vertical diameter, conjugate vera, coxal tuberosities, transversal diameter, acetabula, pelvic inclination, ischiatic arch, pelvis inlet area (PIA), and pelvic outlet area (POA) values were significantly higher in cats with eutocia than in cats with dystocia (P < 0.05). Mean PIA and POA measurement values in cats with dystocia were 22.89 ± 2.38 cm2 and 19.59 ± 1.90 cm2 , respectively; in cats with eutocia, the mean was calculated as 27.16 ± 2.76 cm2 and 23.18 ± 1.88 cm2 , respectively. In conclusion, the present study revealed that pelvimetric values, except the PL measurement, were higher in cats with eutocia than in cats with dystocia. Findings can be used to assist veterinarians in future clinical decision-making for pregnant BS cats.

Canine Cesarean Section: Emergency and Elective.

Canine Cesarean Section (CS) is primarily performed to increase survival of newborns and less commonly to save the life or reproductive future of the dam. Conducting proper ovulation timing to accurately predict the due date will allow a planned, elective CS as an excellent alternative to a high-risk natural whelping, and possible dystocia, for certain breeds and situations. Techniques for ovulation timing, anesthesia, and surgery tips are provided.