526 Veterinary Obstetrics 



attached and consequently receives blood up to the moment 

 of rupture. The umbilic cord may bleed from either end. 

 From the placental end only that blood which has already en- 

 tered its vessels from the mother usually escapes. From the fe- 

 tal end there may ooze a few drops of blood from the broken 

 ends of the umbilic veins. Some claim that there may be 

 a more or less serious hemorrhage from the umbilic arteries, 

 but this accident we have not observed. This can occur only 

 very rarely, because the arteries are so elastic that they promptly 

 recoil and retract up into the abdominal cavity, (Fig. 56), 

 drawing their connective tissue envelopes along with them in 

 such a way as to render hemorrhage virtually impossible. In 

 all animals, there is a tendency for the mother to cleanse the 

 ruptured navel cord with her tongue or lips. In the cow, the 

 umbilic cord is so short that it usually ruptures before the hind 

 feet of the fetus have escaped from the vulva. The necessary 

 care of the broken umbilic cord will be discussed under "Care of 

 the New-Born Animal." 



