Uterine Torsion in Buffaloes: Prevalence, Risk Factors, Fetal Outcome and Clinical Management

Abstract

The present study was conducted on graded Murrah buffaloes diagnosed with uterine torsion during the period from July  to December, 2025 at the Department of Veterinary Gynaecology and Obstetrics, NTR College of Veterinary Science, Gannavaram, Andhra Pradesh, India to evaluate the prevalence, risk factors and fetal outcome in buffaloes affected with uterine torsion. A total of 63 dystocia cases presented to the veterinary hospital were investigated. Among these, uterine torsion constituted 47 cases (74.60%), indicating it as the major cause of dystocia. A higher occurrence of torsion was noted in pluriparous buffaloes (59.57%) with most cases occurring at term (78.72%). Right-sided torsion was most common (93.62%) and the majority of cases involved post cervical torsion (82.98%). Severe torsion (>270º) was recorded in 44.68% of cases and most cases were presented for treatment between 24 and 48 hrs after the onset of clinical signs (46.81%). Fetal examination revealed anterior longitudinal presentation in all cases (100%), with a slightly higher proportion of male calves (52.50%). However, fetal mortality was high at the time of calving (65.00%). Detorsion was attempted using the modified Schaffer’s rolling method, which resulted in successful correction in 41 out of 45 treated cases, yielding a success rate of 91.11%. The study highlighted that uterine torsion was a major contributor to dystocia in buffaloes and emphasize that delayed presentation for treatment markedly reduced the success of detorsion and survival of both dam and calf.