Uterine Tube Resection by Vaginotomy as an Alternative to Ovariectomy in Mature Cattle

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Female cattle should not be in an advanced state of pregnancy when transported from a farm for sale or slaughter, particularly when they are shipped or trucked over long distances. It is not always possible for the farmers in the northern Australian rangelands to prevent access to bulls given the minimal fencing and extreme farming conditions, and there are no practicable non-surgical contraceptive methods. This article describes the use of a little-known surgical technique of removing part of the uterine tubes (also known as the oviducts, the equivalent of the Fallopian tubes in humans) on 70 Brahman cows in a typical farm environment in northern Australia in comparison with 60 Brahman heifers spayed using an established surgical method. The animals were monitored for 10 days following the surgery. None of the animals died following the surgery, 2 of the 70 were treated for illnesses and recovered, and a number of animals subjected to both surgical procedures showed signs of discomfort and mild inflammation in the pelvic area during recovery. The cows gained an average of 9.3 kg of weight over the 10 days of the study compared to the spayed heifers, which lost 3.5 kg. The uterine tube resection technique therefore appears to be a viable alternative to surgical spaying. ABSTRACT: The prevention of pregnancy is desirable for female cattle destined for sale in the northern Australian rangelands for both economic and welfare reasons. Controlled access to bulls is often not feasible, nor are any non-surgical methods currently available. Many females are therefore surgically spayed. This study describes a technique for uterine tube resection (UTR), which leaves the ovaries intact and is performed using a vaginal approach, and compares the outcomes from 70 Brahman cows subjected to the procedure with 60 heifers spayed using the dropped ovary technique. The animals were monitored for 10 days following the surgery. There were no mortalities, and two animals were treated for illnesses after the UTRs and recovered. The animals subjected to both surgical procedures showed signs of pelvic discomfort and mild inflammation during recovery. The cows gained an average of 9.3 kg (SD 14.5 kg) of weight over the 10 days of the study compared to the spayed heifers, which lost 3.5 kg (SD 13.3 kg), with 19 and 63% of the animals in each of the groups losing weight, respectively. Uterine tube resection can be considered as a viable alternative to surgical spaying.