Tirupati: Veterinary College performs rare surgery on a cow

Tirupati: The College of Veterinary Science, Tirupati, has performed a rare surgery to a cow successfully on Wednesday. A three-and-half-year-old cow from Kalakada mandal was injured on its right hind limb as it slipped while trying to stand up. Due to injury, the animal was touching its hock joint on the ground instead of hoof and due to this the other limb was also dropped down and the animal could hardly move even a few steps. It suffered with this condition for 15 days with no response to the treatment given by local veterinarians who later referred the animal to Veterinary Clinical complex, College of Veterinary Science, Tirupati.

The team of surgeons lead by Dr M Raghunath, Professor of Surgery including Dr S Bharathi, Dr G Vani and post-graduate students operated on the cow and a procedure called trans articular trans-fixation of hock joint was done to stabilise it and to keep it in extension until the muscle rupture healed. The animal started to put on normal weight three hours after surgery on the operated limb. Later the cow was discharged on the third day and after three months the trans-fixation assembly was removed and the animal continued to walk on the affected limb normally.

Dr N Dhanalakshmi, Professor and Head, explained that this was a rare muscular injury in large animals and there are no reports till date on successful treatment and the animals were advised euthanasia or slaughter. Dr K Adilaxmamma, Associate Dean of the college congratulated the team of surgeons for giving a new lease of life to the cow.