Dystokia 573 



The cow, on the other hand, shows one marked disadvantage 

 in manipulation, because she is less amenable to command in 

 reference to her position. While the obstetrist usually prefers 

 to carry out his examinations and operations with the animal 

 in the standing position, the cow is frequently very obstinate 

 and will persistently maintain the recumbent position, whereas 

 the mare will habitually stand throughout the operation or will 

 promptly rise, if able, after she has once gone down. It is 

 worthy of note also that inability to rise in the case of the mare is 

 very rare, while in the cow it is not uncommon. 



The difficulties of dystokia in all animals bear an almost con- 

 stant relation to the promptness of veterinary attendance. If 

 the case has been neglected for a long period of time, the fetal 

 fluids escape and permit the fetus to become closel)^ invested by 

 the uterus and its membranes, so that any changes in the posi- 

 tion of the young become much more difficult than when the 

 fetal fluids are still present. During the period of delay any 

 vicious position of the fetus tends to be constantly accentuated. 

 An extremity, which in the beginning was only slightly deviated 

 from the normal and could have been corrected in a moment, 

 may have become very greatly displaced, and its adjustment 

 rendered exceedingly difficult or even impossible, so that it may 

 call for embryotomy. 



If the veterinarian is not called promptly, the fetus perishes 

 and rigor mortis sets in, which renders any adjustment of its posi- 

 tion exceedingly laborious. After the death of the fetus, it un- 

 dergoes very rapid decomposition, accompanied by emphysema, 

 which increases its size by 50 to 100% or even more, thus greatly 

 increasing the difficulties in delivery and the dangers to both the 

 animal and the operator from the standpoint of infection. In 

 the meantime the mother becomes more and more exhausted and 

 less capable of enduring the ordeal through which she must pass. 



A very important element of delay in veterinary attendance 

 upon cases of dystokia is the meddling of inexperienced, if not 

 ignorant laymen, or still worse, of charlatans, with their crude 

 instruments and dirty hands and arms, which have perhaps been 

 befouled in attending other cases of a septic character. They 

 frequently carry out operations which very greatly increase the 

 difficulty for the obstetrist and enormously increase the risk to 

 the animal. Perhaps they have already, by some awkwardness, 



