Schistosomus reflexus dystocia in a crossbred dairy cow

• Published in: Clinical case reports Vol. 11; no. 10; pp. e8009 - n/a
• Main Authors: Munif, Mohammad Raguib, Bhuiyan, Mohammad Musharraf Uddin, Safawat, Mst Sanjida, Rahman, Md Sabuj
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.10.2023; John Wiley and Sons Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: Abdomen; Anesthesia; Case Report; Case reports; Cattle; cesarean delivery; congenital defects; dead fetus; Fetuses; Laboratories; Medical equipment; Milk production; Pharmaceuticals; Schistosomus reflexus; Surgery; Sutures; Uterus; Vagina; Veterinary Medicine; congenital defects; cesarean delivery; Schistosomus reflexus; dead fetus
• ISSN: 2050-0904; 2050-0904
• DOI: 10.1002/ccr3.8009

Schistosomus reflexus (SR), an unusual congenital defect in calves, can be diagnosed grossly by exposed viscera and curved spine with hindquarters twisted up toward the head. SR is typically associated with dystocia and fetal deaths in cows. Hence, cattle breeding programs must be aware of these anomalies to avoid losses from abnormal, non-viable calves. Schistosomus reflexus (SR) is a rare and fatal congenital malformation in bovines from autosomal recessive disorders. We report a typical case of SR in a non-viable calf after the cesarean section of a crossbred Friesian cow. It was characterized by the inversion of the spinal column and a pronounced ventral curvature causing the cranium to be positioned near the sacrum and tail, along with exposed thoracic and abdominal viscera, limb ankylosis, and tongue protrusion. The postoperative management of the cow, along with the outcome, is also described here.