Systematic clinical examination of early postpartum cows and treatment of puerperal metritis did not have any beneficial effect on subsequent reproductive performance

Abstract

The objective of this field trial was to evaluate the impact of a control program based on systematic clinical examination on Day 10 ± 3<I> post partum (pp)</I> and treatment in the case of puerperal metritis on reproductive performance in dairy cows. Cows having serious dystocia as well as cows treated for retained placenta were not involved in the trial. The evaluation was performed by comparing reproductive performance between systematically examined cows (Group E, <I>n</I> = 83) and cows that were examined and treated occasionally on the basis of farmers’ notifications of a pathological condition (Group C, <I>n</I> = 95). In Group E, reproductive performance was compared between cows with a mild form of metritis (Group E1, <I>n</I> = 18), cows with a severe form of metritis (Group E2, <I>n</I> = 14) and cows without puerperal metritis (Group E0, <I>n</I> = 51). Clinical examination consisted in rectal and vaginal palpation with inspection of the lochia manually withdrawn from the vagina. Cows with puerperal metritis were treated with an intramuscular administration of PGF<sub>2α</sub> analogue – dinoprost. An intrauterine antibiotic (rifaximin foam) was added in cases of severe metritis. The examination and treatment (in cases of a pathological condition, <I>n</I> = 10) were repeated in Group E on Day 24 ± 3 <I>pp</I>. In addition, the incidence of puerperal metritis in the year seasons was evaluated. Occurrence of ovarian disorders (30.1 vs. 24.2%) and clinical endometritis (27.7 vs. 23.2%), calving to first service interval (83.2 vs. 85.4 days), pregnancy until Day 100 <I>pp</I> (30.8 vs. 35.3%) as well as until Day 150 <I>pp</I> (64.6 vs. 64.7%), services per conception (2.45 vs. 2.16), calving to conception interval (141.6 vs. 136.4 days), total culling rate (20.5 vs. 28.4%) and culling rate due to (sub)infertility (8.4 vs. 6.3) in Group E compared to Group C were not different. Only the first service pregnancy rate was lower in Group E (30.3 vs. 47.1%, <I>P</I> < 0.05). Even though no significant differences were found in the reproduction parameters between groups E1, E2 and E0, the worst parameters were in Group E2. The incidence of puerperal metritis in the year seasons was not different. The trial did not prove that there was a beneficial effect of systematic clinical examination on Day 10 ± 3 <I>pp</I> nor of treatment in cases of puerperal metritis, using PGF<sub>2α</sub> and intrauterine antibiotic, on reproductive performance in dairy cows.

Effect of Puerperal Metritis on Holstein Cows Productive, Reproductive Variables and Culling Rates

“…These results could be due to the magnitude of the postpartum immune suppression during warm months which may result from excessive heat stress, as most of these periods had a high temperature degree under Egyptian atmospheric conditions. The results agreed with (Dolezel et al, 2008) and disagreed with (Benzaquen et al, 2007), as they reported that the incidence of the puerperal metritis in primiparous cows increased in warm seasons than cool seasons, while these phenomena were disappeared in multiparous cows. In contrast, Dolezel et al (2008) found that the incidence of the puerperal metritis was increased during the spring calving season.…”

“…Cows were also grouped into three groups according to the frequency of puerperal metritis occurrence, as of once, twice and triple, respectively. Dairy cows were grouped according to their calving season into 4 groups for winter, spring, summer and fall calving seasons, respectively (Dolezel et al 2008). …”

“…These results could be due to the cumulative effect of the puerperal metritis attack on dairy cattle production and reproductive parameters, as by the time the re-attack with metritis promoted its bad effects on dairy performance. Dolezel et al (2008) recorded that the puerperal metritis depressed high yielding dairy cows first serving pregnancy, increased…”

Post-calving administration of uterine stimulants does not improve reproductive performance in dairy cows

“…Early treatment of clinical metritis is recommended, because untreated clinical metritis may continue as clinical or subclinical endometritis (Williams 2013). However, many affected cows remain undiagnosed, due to the absence of clinical symptoms and an insufficient level of individual inspection of postpartum cows (Dolezel et al 2008). Therefore, preventive systematic treatments of uterine diseases without individual investigation of cows, including uterine stimulants or antibiotics (Mollo et al 1997;Palomares et al 2010;Dubuc et al 2011;Kaya et al 2012;McLaughlin et al 2013), have been described, although results have been conflicting.…”

Bacterial contamination of the uterus in cows with various clinical types of metritis and endometritis and use of hydrogen peroxide for intrauterine treatment

“…Therefore intrauterine antimicrobial treatment represents a common and frequent procedure in dairy farms even though the results of the treatment are variable (Gilbert, 1992;Whitacre, 1992;Montes and Pugh, 1993;Smith et al, 1998;Olson, 1996;Drillich et al, 2005;Dolezel et al, 2008). Nevertheless, bacterial contamination of the uterus in early postpartum cows is common (Huszenicza et al, 1999) and the development of uterine inflammation depends on local immunity and on the intensity of contamination and the spectrum of contaminants (Foldi et al, 2006;Sheldon et al, 2009a,b).…”