Anterior Presentation If the muzzle appears before one or both feet, the elbow(s) may be impacted against the pelvic brim or the forelimb(s) may be retained in the uterus. An impacted elbow can usually be corrected by moderate traction on the foot, however, it may be necessary to apply opposing force to the head to make room for correction. If one or both forelegs are retained in the uterus, it is often necessary to push the head back through the pelvic inlet to correct the problem. If it is very difficult to get the head and both forelegs into the birth canal at the same time, mechanical traction should not be applied. Either the positioning is faulty or the passage is too small to accomodate the calf. Shoulder lock occurs when the calf's shoulders become impacted at the pelvic inlet. To relieve a shoulder lock, apply moderate traction to the head and alternately apply traction to the forelimbs so the shoulders are "walked" through the bony pelvis one at a time. If the shoulder lock is severe, a caesarian section should be considered; a shoulder lock relieved with difficulty may be followed by a worse hiplock. Hip lock (calf's hips impacted at pelvic-inlet) should be dealt with promptly. The calf usually doesn't survive long in hip lock, and the cow may become paralyzed due to excessive pressure on the nerves to her hind limbs. Direction of traction is very important. If a hip lock develops with the cow standing, fasten the forelimbs of the calf together with a short chain, step up in the stirrup formed by the chain, and swing your weight forward between the hind feet of the cow. Hip lock can often be corrected in a cow lying down by repelling the fetus a little, then applying traction over the uppermost rear leg of the cow toward her shoulder. A chain can be placed around the abdomen of the calf and traction applied downward. A 45° rotation of the calf will aid in relieving a hip lock because the vertical diameter of the pelvis is greater than the horizontal diameter.
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