DYSTOCIA DUE TO RARE FOETAL MONSTER IN A BUFFALO

DYSTOCIA DUE TO RARE FOETAL MONSTER IN A BUFFALO 2

Case history:

Dystocia due to rare foetal monster in a BUFFALO, A buffalo in its 3rd lactation was presented with a history of prolonged labour stage with forceful abdominal contraction.

Observation:

Upon examination we see there is a presence of abnormal foetus in anterior presentation.Both forelimbs flexed at knee joint resulting in blockage of birth canal.

Introduction:

• Monstrosity is a disturbance of development that involves various organs and systems which cause great distortion of an individual.
• These are developmental abnormalities of ovum, embryo and foetus.
• Occur in all species of domestic animals

causes:

• Congenital
• Due to abnormal duplication or disruption of inner cell mass in a embryo with partial duplication of various structures.
• Mostly duplication is of cranial portion.
• Less common in caudal portion.
• Viral infections
• Intra uterine exposure to poisons ingested by dam
• Vitamin deficiency (Vitamin A and folic acid)
• Hyperthermia
• Gene mutation

Diagnosis:

On Per vaginal examination Foetus present in anterior presentationBoth forelimbs flexed at knee joint resulting in blockage of birth canal.Abnormal monster head also felt similar to dicephalic. on Ultrasonography ( single heart beat felt). Hence, we diagnosed it as a dicephalic foetus (two head, two neck, one trunk region). Types of dicephalic monster

• Atlodymus (two complete and separate skull and one neck)
• iniodymus (two skulls with fusion at the occipital level),
• derodymus (two complete and separate skulls with two separate necks.

Differential diagnosis:

• Twins
• Diprospus ( in Diprospus two faces and two clefts and single head is present)
• Dipygus ( Duplication of trunk or limbs )
• Siamese twins( attachment of fetus at the level of sternum )
• Pygodidymus ( Two calves joined at the level of rump in opposite direction )

Incidence:

• Incidence of these is about 33.2 % including Diprosopus , Dicephalus , Dipygus , Siamese Twins , Pygodidymus.
• Incidence among all calves seems to range from 0.2 to 3.0 percent with 40 to 50 percent born dead and only a small fraction of reported defects not being externally visible.

treatment:

• Give epidural anaesthesia (2% lignocaine hydrochloride)
• Lubrication of hand with liquid paraffin.
• Then enter it into birth canal.
• Gentelly repel the foetus towards uterus.
• Flexed limbs were extended carefully using cup shaped hand.
• Foetus delivered with judicious traction.
• Foetus died after two days.
• Supportive therapy of dam for 5 days.
• Antibiotic
• Anti inflammatory drug.
• Fluid therapy.
• Uterine lavage with antiseptics.

Other possible treatments are fetotmy and C-section.

Delivered foetus:

• One foetal head was developed with absence of one eye
• Other head has no distinct differentiation of facial structures with absence of eyes, ears, nose and mouth parts.
• Hence, foetus resembled dicephalic monster.

DYSTOCIA DUE TO RARE FOETAL MONSTER IN A BUFFALO

Source  Buffalo Bulletin (October-December 2016) Vol.35 No.4