1 General Equipment

1. fetotome and threader

2. fetotome (gigli) saw wire

3. wire cutters

4. wire saw handles

5. wire introducer/guide

6. krey hook

7. fetotomy (palm) knife

Name the fetotomy instruments

Fetotome and Threader

This is used to disarticulate a dead fetus to aid in removal from the dam in case of dystocia. An OB wire is passed thru to protect the dams delicate vaginal, cervical, and uterine tissues

Clean the fetotome = essential after every fetotomy is complete

• failure to clean = difficult for next emergency

What is happening here?

Fetotomy Saw wire aka OB wire aka Gigli Wire

What is this, used to aid in disarticulation of the dead fetus for removal and the rough cable like material cuts thru soft tissue and bone?

Wire cutters

What is this, used for cutting gigli wire?

Wire saw handles and OB handles

What are the two different types of handles in repro?

Wire saw handlers

What is this, allowing the handler to hold gigli wire and protect hands from getting cut during a fetotomy?

Haupter Obstetrical (OB) wire guides

What is this, helping guide the wire to the appropriate area for cutting?

Krey (OB) hook

What is this, used to hold onto the fetus while performing a fetotomy? (when a chain is attached to the ring and pulled, it closes this so it grabs the tissue to hold onto the fetus)

Fetotomy (palm) knife

What is this, to aid in disarticulation and removal of a fetus during fetotomy, designed to sit in the palm while protecting the dam's tissue while introducing it to the body?

OB handles and chains

What are these, used to assist in the delivery of a calf/fetotomy, placed around the limbs to hold the fetus and assist in pulling it from the uterus?

YES = chains placed on dorsal side and across a joint

• ABOVE the joint and half hitch BELOW the joint to avoid damaging the limb

Is this the proper way to use chains and handles? Why or why not?

NO = chains are correctly on dorsal side but there is only placement below the joint, which will injure the limbs when you apply force to pull the fetus out

Is this the proper way to use chains and handles? Why or why not?

Head snare

What is this, assisting in the delivery of the fetus with a nylon coated cable that will not tighten down on the body part to which it is attached (usually the head)?

Ways to place a head snare

What is this?

Eye hook

What is this, aiding in holding the fetus while doing a fetotomy?

Obstetrical forceps

What is this, used in smaller animals or pigs to remove the fetus during a dystocia (often used around the head or hips)?

Cornell detorsion rod

• used mostly in cows because torsion occurs at parturition

What is this, aiding in rotation of the fetus/uterus in the event of a dystocia due to uterine torsion?

Calf Jack

What is this, assisting in the delivery of a calf, where the straps are placed over the cow's hips and OB chains are attached to the legs of the calf?

• Two people pulling exerts about 400 psi.

• Calf jack exerts about 2000 psi.

  • You can do a lot of damage to the pelvis of the dam using too much force and cause nerve damage

What is important to remember about the calf jack?

Buhner needle and umbilical tape

What is this, used to place a purse string suture in the vulva of a cow to prevent a vaginal or uterine prolapse from recurring? (you MUST take this out before she calves)

Electroejaculator (thats crazy) 💀

What is this, aiding in semen collection from a bull, ram, buck, or camelid NOT HORSES OR DOGS. Probe is placed in rectum of male with stimulators placed ventrally. Accessory sex gland is stimulated --> ejaculation

• Manual count with hemacytometer = GOLD STANDARD

• Concentration analyzers

What devices can be used to measure sperm concentration?

Hemacytometer: count 5 diagonal red squares and multiply by 5 = number of million sperm per mL

What is this?

Hemacytometer to count sperm concentration

What is this?

Ultrasound machines/probes

What are these, aiding in eval. of repro. tracts of males and females? Can evaluate pregnancy status, fetal sexing and viability, testicular tissue, uterus and ovaries

1. 7.5 MHz

2. 5 MHz

3. 3.5 MHz

What are the MHz of these probes?

Horses: broad ligaments are more fixed so ovaries are typically found in the same place

Cows: ovaries more variable and harder to find because the broad ligament is looser

How can finding the ovaries be different in cows and horses?