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Animal Power is still the cheapest and most available one

Posted by Anjum Andrabi on June 10th, 2007

oxen toiling in the field draft drought power
Source: Mulphak, Srinagar

Posted in General | No Comments »

Another monster, this time a male calf delivered from a dystotic cow by CS. There is hydrocephalus and the upper jaw is missing.

Posted by Anjum Andrabi on June 10th, 2007

dead calf with hydrocephalus absence of upper jaw dystokia

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monster calf close up

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Posted in General | 45 Comments »

“Cyclops”, two views of this fetal monster delivered by section

Posted by Anjum Andrabi on June 10th, 2007

Cyclopia is a teratology (meaning birth defect) wherein the development of the face of the animal is so affected that it has only one eye towards the center of its head.  The term cyclops has its origin from the Greek and later Roman mythology, where it refers to primordial race of giants having a single eye in the centre of their foreheads.

This calf was delivered at a veterinary hospital in Kashmir by a cesarean section. The animal was still born (meaning dead  at birth). Its quite rare to see such a distinct cyclopia in calves.

The causes of such fetal monstrosity is not well understood but many substances have been incriminated in its occurance. Predominantly certain alkaloids including cyclopamine, jervine, and cyclopasine are known to cause cyclopia among other birth defects when consumed during early pregnancy. These alkaloids are found in some plants that the animals encounter during grazing especially of the Veratrum spp. These plants and many other alkaloids also cause abortions at various stages of pregnancy. Ewes have been know to be especially susceptable to Cyclopia from grazing on the Veratum plants.

calf frontal view cyclop monster teratology

Frontal view of cyclop monster calf teratology

calf lateral view cyclop monster teratology

Lateral view of cyclop monster calf teratology

Posted in Pathological | 219 Comments »