Clinical signs• Pawing of the mouth and rubbing the head on ground to

remove the object

• This activities pushes the object more caudally

• Finally causing the passive congestion and edema of tongue

causing protrusion of tongue form mouth and easily

traumatized by the teeth.

• The tongue becomes swollen and cyanotic in front of ligature.

• If relief is not forth coming within 24hrs the distal portion

undergoes necrosis form arrest of blood supply.

Treatment• First attempt should be made to immediately remove the ligature

or ring.

• Scarify the swelling on the dorsum, to prevent pressure necrosis

by engorgement. (The hypoglossal are not wounded by superficial

incision as it is deep seated )

• Haemorrhage should be controlled properly.

• Antibiotics, fluids and other therapy should be instituted.

• If it is necrotic (if condition is more than 24hr old ) then

amputation of the tongue is advised.

Procedure for Partial Glossectomy

Dorsal and ventral edges of each arm of the ‘V’ are brought together

with absorbable interrupted sutures.

Remove the tourniquet and check for bleeding

Ligate the lingual artery and veins.

Give ‘V’ shaped incision with base toward the root over the tongue.

Two clamps are placed transversely across the tongue or tourniquet

may be used to encircle and stabilize the tongue.

Application of mouth gag

Under General Anesthesia of animal

The amputation of

tongue from the base

is not advised as it

make difficult for

animal to eat and

drink. However,

amputation of half or

less is well tolerated.

Postoperative Care

• Healing of tongue is usually rapid due to good

vascularity.

• Liquid diet is recommended for at least ten days

after surgery.

• Keep the animal under analgesic and antibiotics for

a minimum of five days.

Necrosis and gangrene• Strangulated tongue if invaded by clostridium sps,

streptococcus sps, staphylococcus sps etc may leads to gangrene formation

• In dog gangrene may be seen after complication of stomatitis, distemper, etc.

• Treatment:

• Mouth irrigation with H2O2 and KMO4 solution until and unless dead part is cast off.

• If condition is life threatening go for Glossectomy.

Sublingual Abscess

• Occasionally, an abscess is seen beneath the tongue and

causing swelling in the floor of mouth in intermaxillary

space.

• Treatment

– Provide environment to mature abscess.

– Incise and facilitate for drainage

– Irrigate with iodine solution or paste with boro-glycerine

paste or pain with iodo-glycerine solution.

– Antibiotic therapy

– Place the animal in liquid diet.

Self Suck

• It is a behavioral problem in which animal learn to sucks

its own teat.

• This condition is commonly in nutrient deficient animals

• This condition is difficult to control by mechanical

intervention designed either to keep the animal from

reaching the udder or to create sufficient difficulities in

removing the mild form the udder.

Management

• Nutritionally boost up animals

• Use of collar (Elizabeth or craddle). However, it is not advisable for

animals on pasture because of possibility of entangled in fencing.

• Metallic tags, rings and soon are sometime inserted in the frenulum of

the tongue to discourage self suck.

• Among these the most successful technique for dealing with this problem is to

surgically alter the contour of tongue by removing the triangular or

elliptical shaped segment form the ventral surface of the tongue.

• This create a more rounded contour on the dorsal surface which then

prevent the animal from cupping the tongue around the teats.

Surgical Procedure for correcting self suck

This procedure brings

change in the contour

of dorsal surface of

tongue and animals

can’t cupped its tongue

around the teats and

ability of self suck is

removed.

Partial Glossectomy• A portion of tongue is excised form the tip of the tongue in

diagonal manner

• For this two haemostatic forceps are placed diagonally across

the tongue.

• Rest as above.

Glossopiagia

• It is paralysis of the tongue

• It is a rare condition and prognosis of such cases is often grave.

• Clinical Signs:

• Tongue becomes flaccid and hangs out of mouth.

• Treatment:

• If there is no involvement of hypoglossal nerve then systemic administration

of antibiotics and corticosteroids produces remarkable recovery within a

few days.

• However, if there is involvement of hypoglossal nerve then response to

therapy will not be so quick.

SMOOTH TONGUE

• This is a congenital disease reported in Holstein Friesian

and Brown Swiss cattle but not in Indian cattle and buffalo.

• It is characterized by loss of horny papillae on the dorsal

surface of the tongue, giving tongue smooth effect.

• Clinical signs:

– Loss of prehension as a result there is loss of body condition and

retardation of growth.

• Treatment:

– Has not been indicated.

Snake Bites

• In pasture grazing animals, the snake may bite on the tongue.

• Common poisonous snakes are: Cobra, Krait and Viper

• Snake venom contains mainly 3 toxic factors-

1. Neuro toxin: causes initial stimulation of CNS followed by

depression.

2. Haemorrhagin: Responsible for haemorrhage

3. Cytolysin: Causes local tissue necrosis

Note: The venom of cobra and krait are rich in neurotoxin and viper’s

venom rich in cytolysin and haemorrhagin and acts on cardiovascular

system.

Treatment• The wound is cleaned and washed with potassium permagnet (KMNO4)

solution.

• Traditional application of tourniquet and incision at the site are not in practice

now a days.

• Administration of intravenous polyvalent Anti Snake Venom (ASV)together

with saline in slow drip is effective against cobra krait and viper venom.

• This injection results in anaphylactic reaction, hence it is wise to keep

simultaneous IV needle and apparatus ready for adrenaline administration.

• After the control of reaction , Antisnake venom plus saline drip is continued

until symptoms disappear.

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