CALVING ASSISTANCE INFLUENCE THE

OCCURRENCE OF UMBILICAL PATHOLOGIES

WITH SURGICAL RESOLUTION

Moscuzza, C. H.*, Milicich, H., Nahum, M. Gutierrez, B. and Alvarez, G.

Surgical and Medical Clinics in Ruminants, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Buenos Aires University.
Av. Chorroarín 280 (C1427CWO), Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina. E-mail: *hmoscuzza@fvet.uba.ar
The objective of this study was to determinate Universidad de Buenos Aires

the incidence of the different diseases which

involve the navel and adjacent structures in
calves and its relationship with the calving
characteristics.
 Universidad de Buenos Aires

Introduction

• Dystocia 50% of beef calves deaths (Bellows et al, 1987)

• Dystocic born calves:

– higher mortality rates during the first 24 hours postpartum
(Wehrend et al, 2006)
– 2.4 times more prone to diseases during the first 45 days
of life, compared with natural delivered calves (Noakes,
1997).

• Argentina:
–losses at birth were 3.4% (beef herds)
–losses from birth to weaning were 6.3% (Campero et al,
1998).
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Introduction

•Umbilical infection rises in a caesarean section due to clamping of the

umbilical cord, delaying the normal retraction of the umbilical
structures.

•Omphalitis weakens the adjacent abdominal wall, causing an acquired

umbilical hernia

•Congenital umbilical hernias are common genetic component is

involved.
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Materials and method

•Animals:
–92 calves with umbilical pathologies of surgical
resolution (1998-2005) .
– Calves breeds were Holstein (65%), Polled Hereford
(25%) and Aberdeen Angus (10%).
– Age ranged between two and eight months.
– Males: 42.4% and Females: 57.6%.

–Calving:
•"normal”: no human intervention.
•"with aid”: only manual traction with a maximum of two
operators.
•"difficult“: correction of fetal position before manual traction by
two operators.
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Materials and method

•Presumptive diagnosis: palpation methods before surgery

•Classification of navel surgical diseases:

• anatomical structures affected by the infectious
process.
• extension of infection.
• macroscopic characteristics of injuries found during
surgery.

Navel Surgical Disease
First degree omphalophlebitis
Second degree omphalophlebitis
Third degree omphalophlebitis
Omphaloarteritis
First degree omphalourachitis
Second degree omphalourachitis
Third degree omphalourachitis
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Description
navel and umbilical vein infection
+ presence of abscesses in the
umbilical vein lumen
+ liver abscess
navel and umbilical arteries
navel and one third part of the
urachus-bladder zone
the following third
the urachus and the urinary bladder
are also compromised.
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Results

Occurrence proportions of umbilical diseases

with surgical resolution.

Pathology Cases % *
1st degree omphalophlebitis 28 30.4 (a)

2nd degree omphalophlebitis 16 17.4 (ab)

3rd degree omphalophlebitis 5 5.4 (b)

Omphaloarteritis 16 17.4 (ab)

1st degree omphalourachitis 13 14.1 (ab)

2nd degree omphalourachitis 9 9.8 (ab)

3rd degree omphalourachitis 5 5.4 (b)

* Different letters indicate differences in the occurrence proportions of umbilical diseases

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Results
Umbilical pathologies of surgical resolution observed in male and
female calves related to the calving assistance.

Normal With aid Difficult

M F M F M F

1st degree omphalophlebitis 3 5 8 3 6 9 5 6 11

2nd degree omphalophlebitis 1 3 4 3 3 6 2 4 6

3rd degree omphalophlebitis 0 0 0 1 1 2 1 2 3

Omphaloarteritis 2 2 4 2 4 6 3 3 6

1st degree omphalourachitis 0 2 2 2 3 5 2 4 6

2nd degree omphalourachitis 1 1 2 1 2 3 1 3 4

3rd M
degree F: female
: maleomphalourachitis 0 1 1 0 2 2 1 1 2
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Results
• Proportion of cases with first-degree omphalophlebitis (a) exceeded
significantly the proportion of third-degree omphalophlebitis (b) and
third-degree omphalourachitis(b).
(Variance Analysis, Bonferroni Test and multiple comparisons)

• Proportions of cases with the remaining pathologies (ab) didn’t differ

from the previous ones.
• No differences between males and females.
(Chi-square homogeneity test)

• Proportion of attended calving (77%) was significantly higher than

proportion of normal calving. (Sign Test, p <0.05)

•Urachal infection was observed in 29.3 % of surgical resolution

umbilical cases.

• 80% of cases with umbilical septic processes were complicated with

umbilical hernia.
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Discussion
• Palpation is considered an important diagnostic tool in umbilical
diseases but definitive diagnosis is during surgery.
•The highest proportion of umbilical cases with surgical resolution was
first-degree omphalophlebitis.
•Calving aid level, either by traction or position correction before
traction, increased the occurrence of umbilical pathologies with
surgical resolution.

•Extemporaneous calving help, especially premature maneuvers, do

not allow maturation and regression of the anatomical structures of
the umbilical cord.
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Conclusions

•Problems on newborn help, even under normal calving conditions,

may cause umbilical illnesses of variable severity.
•Calving help and umbilical pathological processes are closely linked.

•Human intervention at calving increases the occurrence of umbilical

pathologies of surgical resolution.
•A higher obstetrical handling and premature maneuvers increase
the severity of umbilical diseases.

•The umbilical pathology of higher occurrence was 1st. degree

omphalophlebitis.
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