Affection and treatment of Neck

Dr. Bikash PuriAssist. Professor

Nepal Polytechnic Institute, Chitwan

Yoke Gall• IT is a localized acute inflammation of the skin and subcutis on the dorsum of

the neck of working cattle and buffalo bullock due to constant friction caused by

yoke.

• Incidence:

– Draught purpose bullocks and buffalo bulls (i.e. used for carting or ploughing) are more affected.

• Predisposing factors:

– Rough roads and extra heavy loads.

– Young animal with tender necks skin

– Force animla to prolong work

– A yoke with rough surface

– Improper selection of pair of animals

How does it form?

• The pressure of the yoke combined with its movement induces

friction causing separation of the layers of the skin and

subcutaneous tissue.

• This is followed by infiltration of serum and inflammatory exudates

• More or less circular diffuse swelling results. The size of the

swelling may be small or as large as football.

• The moist condition of skin due to sweat or rain favour formation of

a gall.

Clinical symptoms

• Swelling on dorsum of neck.

• The swelling may be variable i.e may be the size of the cricket

ball to as large as football.

• Initially, the swelling appears warm and painful.

• Swollen mass is soft with fluid inside or hard in consistency on

palpation.

• Infection leads to abscess formation

• Skin flold in region due to diffuse cellulitis.

Diagnosis

• On the basis of history and clinical symptoms• Exploratory puncture confirms for absess,

tumor, e

Treatment

• If the condition is of acute type-– Give cold therapy

– Paint the swollen area with iodine onitment to facilitates

reabsorption of the exudate.

– Administer NSAIDS parentrally

– Give rest to animal.

Yolk abscess• If the abscess is immature allow it to mature before being incised to drain the pus.

• Maturation of abscess can be achieved by hot fomentation or by of iodine

ointment.

• Once matured the abscess should be incised at the most dependent part with a

knife or scalpel.

• Irrigate the pus cavity by hyper tonic saline and dress with antiseptic.

• Pack the cavity with moist antiseptic gauge dip into tincture iodine on first day.

From next day don’t use tincture iodine as it will injure the newly formed

granulation tissue and hence better to use non irritant antiseptic like acriflavin.

• Antibiotic therapy for 5 days.

Tumor neck• Treatment:

– Enucleation (or extripation) may be indicated.

• Steps:

– Prepare the site aseptically after clipping and saving.

– Paint the surgical site with ethyl alcohol

– Infiltrate local analgesia around the base of the tumor

– Make two elliptical skin incision across the swelling . Incision should be slightly oblique rather

than longitudinal or vertical to avoid the tendency to gape when animal lowers head.

– After incision of skin undermining the skin to reach the base of fibrous mass.

– Check the haemorrhage if any and Enucleated the disintegrated fibrous mass completely.

– Irrigate with iodine solution and apply topical antibiotic pv. And finally suture the wound with

nylon or silk.

torticollis• Twisting or distortion of the neck is called torticollis or wry neck. The condition

has been observed in calves adult cattle, buffaloes and horses. Mostly the

condition is seen when animal fall with head and neck under body.

• Symptoms;

– There may be subluxation of one or more joints of certain cervical vertebrae or spasm of certain

cervical muscles.

– Presence of unilateral muscle paralysis in the region of neck

– The head is kept lowered slightly twisted and turned to one side.

– Severe pain in initial stages

• Treatment:

– Subluxation can be corrected after local inflammation and pain subsides to a certain extend

– Use of splint on either side of neck to mmobilize.

Fistula wither• Results from inflammation of the typical bursae situated between spine and ligamentum

nuchae.

• Common condition of horses.

• Etilogy:

• A. Predisposing factors:

• The withers of horse does not have massive muscular covering and hence more chance of trauma.

• Bad confirmation

• B. Exciting causes:

• Trauma resulting form an ill filled saddle.

• A saddle which is too small or too big may be more traumatic.

• In narrow chested animal, the saddle may frequently slip forward and causes trauma.

• Infectious: Bacterial infection example: Burcella abortus.

• Vitamin E deficiencies.

Symptoms • A well marked local swelling due to distention of bursa

• May or may not be painful to touch

• In chronic cases, bursal enlargement may extend into the surrounding tissue in the form of pocket.

• In case of bacterial infection the suppurative inflammation occurs and bursa may rupture like an

abscess.

• The pus escape through small sinus opening on the skin in the region of wither (Hence termed

fistula wither)

• The pus migrate downwards and spread easily through intramuscular spaces of the external thoracic

and cervical muscles and thus pus collect either infront of shoulder or behind shoulder

• Suppuration may also extend to neighbouring tissues like:

• Ligamentum nuchae

• Supraspinous ligament

• Cartilage of dorsal spine

• Cartilaginous portion of scapula and ribs etc.

Prognosis

• Guarded and require prolonged treatment.• Treatment:• Discontinue the use of saddle• Enlarge the sinus opening to facilitate drainage• Touch the interior with caustics• Remove the necrotic tissue• Drain the pus from the surrounding tissue• Use of antimicrobial both locally and paranterally

after sensitivity test.