Clinical Examination of Farm Animals - CYF MEDICAL DISTRIBUTION

Clinical Examination of the Female Genital System
In older animals only part of the uterus can be enclosed
in the hand in this way. The body and horns
may lie on the abdominal floor anterior to the pelvic
brim. Palpation may be aided by gently retracting the
uterus (see above). Retraction may be impossible in
pregnant animals or in those in which uterine adhesions
are present. The uterine horns are coiled and
their anterior extremities are not directly palpable.
The uterus feels turgid and very tightly coiled in
animals in oestrus, but such turgidity can also be
induced in some cattle by manual palpation of the
genital tract. In early pregnancy the uterine walls are
lacking in muscular tone. Later on as fetal size and
uterine fluid content increase the tone of the uterine
wall also increases The short uterine body is palpable
as a cylindrical structure just in front of but much
softer and slightly wider than the cervix. In heifers
the uterine body is approximately 3 cm in length. In
non-pregnant animals the two uterine horns should
normally be approximately the same size (2 to 3 cm
wide). In older animals the horns are larger and there
may be a disparity of size caused by an earlier pregnancy.
The uterus undergoes great enlargement during
pregnancy.
Uterine involution commences immediately after
calving. Initial involution is rapid in healthy animals
but may be delayed by dystocia, uterine inertia and
retained fetal membranes. The anterior poles of the
uterus should be palpable by 14 days postpartum.
Uterine involution should be complete by 25 to 50
days. Postpartum uterine fluid normally disappears
within 7 to 10 days of calving. After that time the
uterus should contain little fluid. In some animals a
low grade infection – endometritis – is present in the
uterus and is accompanied by the accumulation of
varying amounts of purulent fluid. A visible vaginal
discharge may be present and the uterus may be
found to be enlarged and fluid filled on rectal examination.
The presence of purulent material can be confirmed
by ultrasonography.
Large amounts of purulent material are present in
the uterus in cases of pyometra but the animal rarely
shows signs of systemic illness. In the serious disease
acute septic metritis the uterine wall may be hard
and occasionally emphysematous on rectal examination.
Very occasionally, and possibly following
injury at parturition, a uterine wall abscess may be
detected. An irregular area on the uterine wall may
be palpated per rectum and can be further evaluated
by ultrasonography.
Pregnancy diagnosis by rectal palpation Details
are beyond the scope of this book. The main findings
may be summarised as follows:
35 days – unilateral enlargement of the pregnant
horn; presence of corpus luteum on the ipsilateral
ovary
42 days – palpation of amniotic vesicle (2 to 3 cm in
diameter) in the pregnant horn
42–70 days – palpation of membrane slip. The uterine
wall is lifted and allowed to slip between the clinician’s
finger and thumb. The additional chorioallantoic
membrane slipping independently of the
uterine wall is palpable at this stage. Disparity
between pregnant and non-pregnant horns is
more distinct (Fig. 10.5)
>120 days – cotyledons palpable in the dorsal wall of
the uterus. At this stage they are 3 to 4 cm in diameter,
increasing to 6 to 8 cm towards the end of
pregnancy. Cotyledons have been described as
being like ‘corks floating on water’. They are
initially quite close together but later, as allantoic
fluid volume increases, they move further apart.
Cotyledons are readily detected by advancing
the hand as far forward as possible per rectum
and then moving the palm backwards and downwards
stroking the dorsal wall of the uterus. The
cotyledons are palpated as elevations in the
uterine wall
150 days – fremitus palpable in the middle uterine
artery on the pregnant side
240 days – bilateral fremitus palpable; the exact timing is
variable
The fetus, which is very small, is not palpable within
the tense amniotic vesicle in the first 10 weeks of
pregnancy. After this, fetal extremities may be palpable
through the uterine wall. By 14 weeks the
fetus has often passed beyond reach. Fetal extremities
may be palpable again from 26 weeks of pregnancy.
In the last 4 weeks of pregnancy the calf is
usually readily palpable as it increases in size.
Touching the fetal head or gently squeezing its feet
may cause it to move, thus confirming its viability
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