When The Uterus Flips
This article was written by Dr. Jody Kull, DVM, assistant teaching professor at Penn State Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Kull joined the PSU VBSC faculty in 2023, transitioning out of clinical practice after 19 years in the field.
Uterine torsions occur occasionally in cattle when the uterus flips on itself right before calving. It is an emergency situation to de-torse the uterus. It is important to determine the direction of the torsion, whether it’s clockwise or counterclockwise.
Most torsions occur counterclockwise, and upon vaginal palpation your hand will rotate in a counterclockwise direction over the tight band of the uterine ligament.
There are several ways to correct a torsion, but my preference is to roll the cow over while "holding the calf still" to catch the cow up to the twisted calf. Counterclockwise torsion equals counterclockwise cow rolling – casting the cow on her left side and rolling to her right.
I use a skid loader, hobbles and a chain for this. I don't always use a board; I usually just use my knee on the abdomen of the cow. One slow and steady roll usually fixes it.
This cow was fully dilated, so I assisted in delivering a live heifer calf. I did use my calf puller to deliver this calf. By using the puller correctly, I was able to maintain complete control of the situation and allowed the cow to do the work herself and provided minor tension with the puller. These tools are excellent in helping us safely deliver healthy babies!
