Terapia de deformidades flexurais em bezerros

Abstract

Flexural deformities or tendinous contractures are characterized by deviation in limb orientation. Three male calves (calves A, B and C), SRD, less than one month old, were treated at the Veterinary Hospital of the Federal University of Santa Maria (HVU-UFSM) in a period of 4 months, since birth The contractures were in the billet region, being the lowest degree of contracture in calf B and without bone deviation in the longitudinal axis, followed by calf A with bone deviation, and calf C, which presented the highest degree of contracture, involving the four limbs. The treatments used were based on immobilization by application of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) splint and, as associative therapy, administration of long-acting oxytetracycline hydrochloride (20 mg / kg, IV, 48/48 h in 3 administrations). Among the treatments, the only success was with calf B, who was discharged in 30 days. Calves A and C were submitted to tenotomy of the flexor tendons superficial and posterior of the deep in both limbs, being the calf C euthanized still in the surgical block because of the infeasibility of the procedure due to the degree of severe bone rotation in the four limbs. The results showed that the lower the degree of contracture and the earlier the conservative treatment, the more efficient it becomes, since the only success among these cases was the calf sent to the hospital on the third day of life. Another important point to note is that tenotomy surgery in ruminants has not been as efficient as described for horses and in the few bovine reports.