Uterine Torsion

Incidences of uterine torsions in cattle and buffaloes are not common. However, they are very common in heavy breeds and buffaloes and animals in slopy terrain. In Bos indicus cattle the ventral attachment of broad ligament changes from ventral at the body to the dorsal at the tip of the horns. In advanced stage of pregnancy in pluriparous cow broad ligament is looser and longerWhen the cows get up on their hind legs, the strong foetal movements together with an empty stomach and poor muscle tone leads to uterine torsion. The animals show abdominal pain and discomfort due to stretching of broad ligament. Other signs such as anorexia, rumen stasis, constipation, increased pulse and respiration are usually present. The 34% of the uterine torsion occurs anterior to the cervix. The 45 to 900  torsions are uncommon. The prognosis depends on the degree of severity and largely on the extent of vascular involvement.