Assessment of Abdominal Wall and Udder Sensitivity in Dairy Cows after Cesarean Delivery by Laparotomy in the Left Flank

Abstract

This study aims to demonstrate loss of sensitivity in the left abdominal wall and the first cranial quarter in milk-producing cattle subjected to laparotomy in the left flank with hysterotomy, through deep sensitivity tests in the abdominal wall and the nipple. Dairy cows subjected to surgical cesarean section were included, at more than 90 days post-intervention. The study was carried out in the area of the Ancud colony, Chiloé. Regarding the properties, information was collected on producers and veterinarians from the area to obtain data related to type of surgery and surgical consequences. To determine sensitivity in the flank and the udder, these zones were divided into six quadrants, assigning to each of them a letter (A, B, C, D, E, F). Each of these areas is part of the thoracic and lumbar spinal nerve pathways evaluated in this study. The results showed that 54% of the females submitted to cesarean section had little or no sensitivity in the flank and the udder, a condition present mostly in quadrants C, D, E, and F for both anatomical areas. When assessing the presence of lesions in the left abdominal wall and the udder, lacerations were the most frequent in both anatomical areas. The nipple sphincter was also affected. Nearly 50% of females submitted to cesarean section presented with mastitis mostly in the cranial quarters