Use of Prostaglandin F2α or Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone in Treating Problem Breeding Cows

Abstract

Ten veterinarians diagnosed and treated 296 cows for reproductive irregularities on 28 dairy farms. Average interval from treatment with 25 mg of prostaglandin F2 alpha (137 cows) to estrus for cows with a corpus luteum (14.6 days) was reduced compared to saline (52 cows) (21.8 days), and a greater percentage (41.6 versus 17.3%) showed estrus within 6 days of treatment. Cows with a cystic corpus luteum (28) were detected in estrus at comparable intervals after prostaglandin F2 alpha or saline (21.8 versus 21.2 days), and similar proportions of cows were detected in estrus within 6 days of treatment (16.7 versus 10.0%). Intervals to estrus among cows with cystic follicles (40 cows) or anestrous cows with follicular ovaries (39 cows) did not differ after treatment with saline or 100 or 200 micrograms of gonadotropin releasing hormone. Within 25 days after treatment, 47.5% of cows with cystic ovaries and 64.1% of anestrous cows showed estrus. Number of cows pregnant after as many as three artificial inseminations of the number examined was 46%, whereas average number of conceptions per service was .32. The long interval from parturition to examination (112 days), the low rate of estrous response after treatment, and the long interval (1.6 estrous cycles) between estruses are consonant with inadequate estrous detection.

Invited Review: Treatment of Cows with an Extended Postpartum Anestrous Interval

“…In cows with an ultrasonographically detectable corpus luteum, treatment with PGF 2α resulted in 55% of animals being detected in estrus within 6 d of treatment (Smith et al, 1998). When the corpus luteum was detected following palpation of the ovaries, estrous response rates within 6 d of treatment averaged 52% and varied from 36 to 68%, with the majority of cows displaying estrus within 4 d of treatment (Dailey et al, 1983;Plunkett et al, 1984;Whittier et al, 1989). These results demonstrate that the estrous response to PGF 2α treatment in this class of cow is not great compared with that observed in cows that have resumed estrous cycles, with between 63 to 88% of cows being detected in estrous within 7 d of treatment with PGF 2α (Xu et al, 1997b).…”

The Therapeutic Effects of a Progesterone-Releasing Intravaginal Device (PRID) with Attached Estradiol Capsule on Ovarian Quiescence and Cystic Ovarian Disease in Postpartum Dairy Cows

“…Some previous studies have suggested that Accepted for publication: March 8, 2004 Correspondence: H. Kamomae (e-mail: kamomae@cc.tuat.ac.jp) progesterone-releasing devices have a therapeutic effect on ovarian quiescence and ovarian cysts [7][8][9][10]. In those studies, the progesterone-releasing device was used in combination with GnRH, hCG or PGF 2α treatment.…”