Surgical Correction of Patent Urachus in a Female Calf: A Case Report

Abstract

Patent urachus in calves is a congenital or acquired condition where the embryonic tube connecting urinary bladder to umbilicus fails to close after birth, causing urine to dribble from the navel. The study describes the anaesthetic protocol and surgical procedure for correction of patent urachus. The anaesthetic protocol was premedication with 0.2 mg kg-1 xylazine, induction and maintenance on 5.0 mg kg-1 ketamine with local infiltration of 5 mg kg-1 lignocaine. The procedure involved an elliptical incision around the umbilicus, followed by sharp dissection of subcutaneous tissues to expose and isolate urachus. Transfixation ligature was applied to urachus before transection and the urachal stump was sutured using simple continuous pattern. This study documents the successful surgical correction of patent urachus in a female calf.