Vets operate on jallikattu bull to remove tumour from hoof

Madurai: A team of veterinary doctors at Muduvarpatti Govt Veterinary Dispensary near Alanganallur operated on a jallikattu bull to remove a lemon-sized tumour from one of its hooves. The bull underwent surgery on Jan 13 and recovered very well, said doctors.Naresh Kumar from Ozhugamangalam in Sivaganga district was raising the bull, which is seven years old. It developed a tumour in one of its front legs and started suffering in pain. After local veterinarian tried to cure it with medicines, the bull was referred to experts in Madurai.Dr C Merilraj, Dr Thangapandian, and the team from the dispensary found that the animal was suffering from interdigital hyperplasia (IH), a firm fibrous mass growing between the claws of cattle. "It begins as a small and painless protrusion and turns into a tumour-like mass with skin lesions in the final stages. It can affect the bulls, reducing their fertility and affecting overall productivity," said Merilraj.The team decided to perform the surgery on the bull and used an electrocautery machine to minimise blood loss. It was the first time such a machine was used to treat the bull, and the tumour was removed from the hoof. Merilraj said that interdigital hyperplasia can occur in all breeds of cattle, and jallikattu bulls, which are a native breed, are not an exception to this. The condition of interdigital hyperplasia is more common in bulls after they reach their maximum body weight. Bull owners should keep a watch for such unusual growth and approach veterinarians, he added.