Dystokia 203 



pains are strong and frequent and no progress is 

 made in the birth of the young, the probability is 

 that something is wrong, and attention to the case 

 is demanded. The chances of success are much greater 

 when the case is taken early, before the mother is 

 exhausted from severe straining, and before the water 

 bags are ruptured and the lubricating fluids allowed to 

 escape and the parts to become dry and swollen. 



Difficult labor is more easily treated in cows than 

 in mares, and the results are better. In treating dys- 

 tokia, the animal, if large, should be kept in the stand- 

 ing position, if possible, as it is easier to handle and 

 better results follow. In many cases the animal will not 

 stand. The operator should be clad in sleeveless cloth- 

 ing that will not be injured by being soiled. The 

 arms should be rubbed with carbolized oil, one part of 

 carbolic acid to thirty parts of oil; lacking this, any 

 clean oil will do, or soap and water may be used. 

 The first thing to be determined is the position of 

 the fetus, called the "presentation." The case may be 

 a normal presentation, a hind-leg presentation, etc. 

 After determining this point, the fetus should be 

 gotten into the normal presentation, if possible. If 

 this is not feasible, a hind -leg presentation should be 

 secured. Failing in both of these, it is usually neces- 

 sary to resort to embryotomy, that is, to cut the 

 fetus up and take it away in pieces. It is impossible 

 to turn a fetus of any reasonable size end for end 

 in the uterus. One of the most frequent abnormal 

 positions is with the head and fore leg presented and 

 one fore leg doubled back. In this case, double a 



