New cyst treatment works well in tests

COWS WHICH fail to respond to treatment for ovarian cysts could benefit from a treatment tested in Brazil in which a vet removes the contents of the cyst via a needle, tube and syringe.

Despite a high number of treatments available for ovarian cysts, some cows fail to respond – leading to culling, reports Claudio Cruz and his vet colleagues from the Univeristy of Rio Grande do Sul, in the Vet Record. In one herd with a high incidence of cystic cows, they tested this treatment on five cows which had failed to respond to other treatments. All five cows subsequently came on heat and successfully conceived.

Dr Cruz explains that this aspiration procedure offers advantages over manual rupturing of cysts, which although not recommended is used by some vets. “Aspiration is probably less traumatic than manual rupture and it minimises the potential of the undesirable effects of bleeding and adhesions.”

“No special equipment is necessary for it and an experienced operator can perform it in six minutes,” he says. The treated cows were then given a gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) injection.

However, he stresses that while aspiration was successful other factors could have influenced the response seen. He also suggests it should be a last resort treatment.