Dehorning (Cornuectomy) Disbudding

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Dehorning (Cornuectomy)Disbudding
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Pros and Cons of dehorning

• PROS
• Dangerous weapons
• Damage can done by fighting
• Feedlots typically pay less money for horned
  animals
• Can cause damage to the facilities
• Horns may also become tangled in fences,
  branches, and other objects
• It is the best interest of the animal to remove
  the horns at the early age

• CONS (dehorning)
• tetanus
• sinusitis
• myiasis
• Abortion
• decreased milk production
• Death
• prolonged healing time of the resultant surgical
  defect
• regrowth of the horns (scur formation)

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• Longitudinal cross-section of a horn, showing
  extension of the frontal sinus of the skull into
  the horn. Dehorning, which is performed at the
  base of the horn, exposes the sinus
• Disbudding destroys horn cells

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Surgical Removal

• Dehorning is usually performed on a conscious,
  sedated animal with local anesthesia for control
  of pain.

Infratrochlear halfway between the medial horn
base and the medial canthus of the eye
Cornual nerve blocked halfway between the
lateral horn base and the lateral canthus of the
eye
Anesthesia for dehorning in the goat. A, Needle
placement for desensitizing the cornual branch of
the lacrimal nerve. B, Needle placement for
desensitizing the cornual branch of the
infratrochlear nerve
Needle placement for desensitizing the cornual
nerve in the bovine. The cornual nerve follows
the temporal ridge to the base of the horn
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Dehorning

• Anesthesia
• Feed and water should be withheld for 24 hrs. and
  12 hrs., respectively
• Xylazine 0.05 mg/lb (20 mg/ml) and butorphanol
  0.05 mg/lb mixed together and given IM or IV
  followed by local block
• Tolazoline (reversal for xylazine) at 2 mg/lb
• If general anesthesia is preferred
• ketamine and valium can be added to the below
  protocol by mixing ketamine and valium together
  11 and administering 1cc/20lb of the combination
  IV.
• inhalation anesthesia may be used
• Local block
• 1 cc of 1 lidocaine or bupivicaine SQ (cornual
  and infratrochlear)
• lidocaine toxicity (muscular tremors, severe
  depression, hypotension and occasionally
  convulsions) avoid using more than 13cc of 2
  lidocaine per 100 lb

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Dehorning

• Surgical preparation
• The skin is incised approximately 1.5 cm from the
  base of the horn (incorporate all germinal
• or nonhaired epithelium in the horn removal to
  lessen the likelihood of regrowth or scur
  formation)
• 3. Assistant supporting the goat's head
• 4. Gigli wire is seated under the caudal aspect
  of the skin incision on one side and the horn is
  sawed off
• in a cranial direction
• 5. Hemostasis can be applied to control
  hemorrhage from the superficial temporal artery
• 6. Remove all blood clots and bone chips/dust
  from the frontal sinuses
• 7. Bandage (nonadherant dressing (Adaptic)
  covered with antibiotic ointment) EOD week 1
  SIW until sinusess close
• 8. Flunixin should be administered for 2-3 days
  post-operatively and antibiotic administration is
  at the discretion of the surgeon. Tetanus
  antitoxin (500 IU) should always be given and a
  dose of a CD-T bacterin can also be administered
  to boost immunity.

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Chemical Cautery

• Example Procedure for Dehorning
• 1. 10 min before dehorning calves are
• sedated with xylazine (0.2 mg/kg IM).
• 2. Hair is clipped around each horn bud, a
• thin film of caustic paste (2 cm diameter)
• is rubbed into the scalp until each horn
• bud is evenly coated, and a ring of
• petroleum jelly is applied around the paste
• to prevent spreading.
• 3. Calves are allowed to rest sternally until
• recovered from sedation.

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(A) Well-healed scabs after caustic paste
dehorning (B) Over-application of caustic paste
can damage the calf.
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• Dehorning Chiva

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Heat Cautery - Disbudding

• This is he fast and almost bloodless method is
  popular, specially in goat kids (3-7 days)
• The tip of the disbudding iron is shaped in an
  open circle.
• When the electric disbudding iron is sufficiently
  heated, the tip is centered over the horn bud and
  applied with circular rocking motion with light
  pressure
• circular tip of the iron should be about ¾ of an
  inch in diameter
• 8 to 15 seconds
• You will see a copper-colored" ring around the
  horn bud if the procedure went as it should
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References

• http//www.sheepandgoat.com/articles/castdockdisb.
  html
• http//veterinarycalendar.dvm360.com/avhc/article/
  articleDetail.jsp?id587158skdatepageID2

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Review

• ID - Breeds
• Terminology
• http//quizlet.com/3852511/production-animal-final
  -flash-cards/
• TPR of ruminants and PE
• Gestation period of ruminants
• Restraint
• Management procedures docking,
  dehorning/debudding, castration