Changes in milk production, fertility and calf mortality associated with retained placentae or the birth of twins

The milk yield and fertility records of cows which at any time either gave birth to twin calves or retained their placenta have been examined. Milk yield was higher in the lactation preceding the birth of twins than in any other lactation and the lactation following the birth of twins tended to be longer. Milk yields of cows which retained their placenta were not significantly different from those of cows which cleansed normally. Many cows which gave birth to twins or which retained their placenta were subsequently barren. There was significantly greater mortality among twin calves and after the birth of twins placentae were more often retained.     

Peripartal changes in serum alkaline phosphatase activity and lactate dehydrogenase activity in dairy cows.

Peripartal serum alkaline phosphatase activity and lactate dehydrogenase activity were measured in 30 dairy cows in order to examine the association between retained fetal membranes and enzyme activity. Daily blood samples were obtained from pregnant cows, starting 15 days before the expected day of calving until eight days after parturition. Sera from 15 cows which retained fetal membranes longer than 24 hours and 15 cows which shed fetal membranes within six hours after parturition were analyzed for alkaline phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase enzyme activities. Mean alkaline phosphatase enzyme activities ranged from 15.93 to 32.6 U/L in retained and nonretained placenta cows. There was a trend towards higher serum alkaline phosphatase activities in retained placenta cows but the differences were not significant among the groups (P greater than 0.05). Mean lactate dehydrogenase activities ranged from 307.2 to 438.86 U/L in nonretained and retained placenta cows. Lactate dehydrogenase enzyme activities in nonretained and retained placenta cows were similar (P greater than 0.05). The alkaline phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase enzyme activities peaked at the time of parturition in both groups. However, the differences in alkaline phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase activities on different days within non-retained and retained placenta cows were significant (P less than 0.05). Results indicate that prepartal changes in alkaline phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase enzyme activities are not predictive of placental retention postpartum.     

Susceptibility to disease in the dairy cow and its relationship with occurrences of other diseases in the current of preceding lactation

The association between occurrences of pairs of diseases (hypocalcaemia, ketosis, hypomagnesaemia, dystocia, retained placenta, endometritis, mastitis and lameness) was studied in 2109 lactations over 6 years in 894 British Friesian, Ayrshire and Holstein crossbred cows. The recurrence of disease in 1215 pairs of consecutive lactations was also examined.Cows with ketosis or hypocalcaemia in one lactation were twice as likely to have hypocalcaemia in the next, and the occurrence of ketosis in consecutive lactations was also related. The proportions of cows with mastitis were 0.38 and 0.23 depending on whether the cow had or did not have mastitis in the preceding lactation, and cows with lameness showed similar increased probabilities of the same lesion recurring in the next lactation. In contrast, cows with retained placenta, dystocia or endometritis in one lactation showed no increased likelihood of having the same disease in the next.As anticipated, within lactations, the occurrence of endometritis was strongly associated with dystocia and retained placenta. Endometritis was also linked with a two-fold increase in the incidence of ketosis and susceptibility to interdigital cleft lesions. Hypocalcaemia and ketosis occurred three times more often during lactations in which hypomagnesaemia also occurred, but occurrences of mastitis appeared to be generally unrelated to other diseases.     

The relationship between mastitis and retained placenta in a commercial population of holstein dairy cows

The relationship between retained placenta and mastitis was studied in a population of dairy cows on commercial farms. Only mastitis cases which occurred shortly after calving were studied. The cows with retained placenta were at a higher risk of developing non-severe mastitis (relative risk = 1.5) and at a much higher risk of developing severe mastitis (relative risk = 5.4). There was a differential effect of long-term (> 6 days) versus short-term (< 5 days) retained placenta.It is suggested that the relationship between retained placenta and mastitis is moderated by the prepartum peripheral leukocyte activity.     

The effects of induced parturition in dairy cows on the incidence of mortality in calves from commercial herds in south-western Victoria

SUMMARY The effects of induced parturition on calf mortality rates were studied in 24 winter-calving, pasture-fed, dairy herds in south-western Victoria. Parturition was induced when most cows were between 27 and 35 weeks of pregnancy. Control groups were selected from cows in the same herds in which calving was not induced. The incidence of mortality within 7 days of birth was much higher among calves from cows in induced groups relative to those in control groups (estimated median herd mortality incidence 72% and 7%, respectively). The incidence of calf mortality was high among groups induced at all stages of pregnancy that were investigated. However, differences in calf mortality incidence, relative to controls, were increased among groups induced at earlier stages of pregnancy.     

Induction of parturition in cattle: effect of triamcinolone pretreatment on the incidence of retained placenta.

Two experiments were designed to determine whether pretreatment with triamcinolone acetonide (TRI) prior to induction of parturition with dexamethasone (DEX) and cloprostenol (CLO) would reduce the incidence of retained placenta. Experiment 1 was conducted to determine the optimum dosage of TRI and to approximate the optimum interval from TRI to induction with DEX + CLO. All cows received TRI on day 270 of gestation. Cows in group I received 1 mg/30 kg of body weight (BW) of TRI and were induced to calve with DEX + CLO on day 276. Cows in groups II and III received 1 mg/45 kg BW and were induced on days 276 or 277, respectively. Cows in groups IV and V received 1 mg/60 kg BW and were induced on days 277 or 278, respectively. Group VI cows served as untreated controls. There was no difference in the incidence of retained placenta among the treated and control groups. Experiment 2 was conducted to more precisely determine the optimum interval from pretreatment to induction treatment with the chosen dose of TRI. All cows in groups I, II, and III were pretreated with 1 mg/60 kg BW of TRI on day 270 of gestation and received DEX + CLO on days 275, 276 or 277, respectively. Group IV cows served as untreated controls. The incidence of retained placenta was higher (p < 0.05) in groups I and II than in the control group, with group III intermediate and not different from the others.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Associations between periparturient disorders and reproductive efficiency in Holstein cows in northern Mexico

Interrelationships among parity, twinning, retained placenta, abortion, metritis, cystic ovaries, milk fever and postpartum reproductive events were investigated in Holstein cows in northeast Mexico. Data were from 6565 lacations from a large commercial dairy herd. Path analysis was used to model the direct and indirect effects of these variables. The risk of reproductive disorders in cows having a particular periparturient complication was assessed by odds ratio analysis. Milk fever was dropped out of the restricted model, mainly because of the low lactational incidence of this disease (0.5%).

The most important implied cause and effect relationships among the periparturient events were twinning causing retained placenta and retained placenta causing metritis (odds ratio = 5.2 and 4.7, respectively; P * 05). Excluding abortion, most reproductive disorders and twinning increased the days from parturition to first estrus (from 4.4 to 9.2 days), the days from parturition to conception (from 1.3 to 21.4 days), the services per conception (from 0.28 to 0.5) and the calving interval (from 14.7 to 21.3 days). Only in associations between retained placenta and reproductive parameters were the indirect components an important part of the total causal association.     

Disease frequencies in dairy cows in Sweden. II. Retained placenta

An epidemiologic study of retained placenta in dairy cows in Sweden covering 140 000 calvings is presented and various risk factors identified.

Swedish Friesian Breed (SLB) had a higher incidence than Swedish Red and White Breed (SRB). The incidence showed a linear increase with age, both when analysing the entire data set and when analysing the frequencies in cows negative for risk factors shown to increase the incidence of retained placenta, e.g., twinning, parturient paresis and dystocia. Male calves increased the risk. Loose-housed cows of both breeds had a lower incidence than tied zero-grazing cows, suggesting exercise to be a sparing factor. An increased recurrence risk ratio was found in second, third and fourth calvings for SRB and in second and third calvings for SLB.

SRB cows with a positive report of retained placenta had an increased risk of removal during the lactation. In dystocia and parturient paresis negative SLB cows, retained placenta increased the risk of removal, whereas a positive report of this disease in dystocia and/or parturient paresis positive cows did not further increase the risk removal.     

The Effect of Retained Placenta and Metritis Complex on Reproductive Performance in Dairy Cattle — A Case Control Study

A study of the computer stored records of 293 dairy cows and 652 calvings reveals the effects of retained placenta and metritis complex on reproductive performance. The overall incidence rate of retained placenta was 11.2%. Retained placenta was 4.6 times more likely to occur following twin births than following single births. Most cases of retained placenta occurred during the fall. Forty-five percent of that seasonal increase was explained by an increased number of calvings. Metritis complex was diagnosed following 54.8% of retained placenta cases. Retained placenta alone did not significantly impair reproductive performance. Metritis complex, in the presence or absence of retained placenta, caused a significant (P相似文献   

The effects of treatment with cloprostenol or dinoprost within one hour of induced parturition on the incidence of retained placenta in cattle

Two experiments were designed to determine whether prostaglandin treatment within one hour postpartum would reduce the incidence of retained placentas after induction of parturition in beef cattle. In the first experiment, 70 cows were induced on day 276-278 of gestation with the combination of 500 μg cloprostenol and 25 mg dexamethasone (CP + Dex). Within one hour after parturition, cows received either 500 μg CP or 25 mg of dinoprost (DI). The incidence of retained placenta (RP) was 64.3% in induced groups and 0% in noninduced control cows and postpartum treatment with either CP or DI had no effect on placental retention.

A second experiment, utilizing 132 cows and heifers, was conducted to determine whether induction with Dex alone, rather than with CP + Dex, would influence the rate of placental retention after postpartum treatment with either CP or DI. The incidence of retained placenta ranged from 28.5 to 58.3% in induced females but was 0% in noninduced control females. As in the first experiment, postpartum prostaglandin treatment had no effect on placental retention.

The results of these experiments do not support the use of prostaglandins within one hour of induced parturition to reduce the incidence of retained placentas.

     

The Association Between Disease, Production and Culling in a University Dairy Herd

The impact of ten diseases of dairy cattle on milk production, calving interval and culling were studied in a university operated dairy herd. Cows with clinical mastitis, ketosis or displaced abomasum had lowered milk production. Cows with metritis, retained placenta, cystic graafian follicles or ovarian hypofunction had longer calving intervals. Cows with clinical mastitis, metritis, pneumonia or retained placenta had increased risks of culling.The relationship between disease and culling was based on the medical history of culled and nonculled cows using a case control approach. Therefore, it is likely that in many cases, the association between disease and culling is due to the impact of that disease on productivity.     

Induction of parturition in dairy cows with dexamethasone.

Sixty Holstein cows were paired by parity and sire, and one of each pair was allocated at random to treatment or control; 17 cows were injected with 7.5 mg/100 kg dexamethasone trioxa undecanoate 14 days before the predicted date of calving, 13 cows received the same dose five days before term and 30 cows were left untreated. The treatment significantly advanced parturition and 29 of the 30 induced cows calved within 72 hours of the injection. Induction at day 14 before term was safe for calf and dam, the calves were 3.2 kg lighter than control calves and there was a high incidence of retained placenta. Treatment for this condition resulted in increased veterinary costs of 14.50 pounds per cow exclusive of dexamethasone treatment. Treatment at this stage was also associated with low pregnancy rates in the next breeding season. Calves born after induction at five days before term were not significantly lighter than calves from control cows, the problem of retained placenta was less marked and there were no subsequent effects on fertility. There were no significant effects of induction on milk yield or milk quality up to 200 days of lactation.     

THE INDUCTION OF PARTURITION USING DEXAMETHASONE IN DAIRY CATTLE

Premature parturition was successfully induced with a preparation containing 2 dexamethasone esters in 709 out of 716 cows and heifers of gestational periods ranging from 3 to 8 months. A mortality rate of 38.5% was experienced among calves produced by induced cows, while only a 2.7% mortality rate occurred among 4,330 calves from normal parturitions. Approximately 50% of all treated cattle retained foetal membranes, but with apparently no ill-effect. The treatment apparently did not affect milk production, post-calving fertility, and the overall incidence of dystocias in cows and post-calving diseases. Three deaths occurred among induced cattle, but they could not be attributed to the treatment. It was concluded that the technique may prove to be of great value in dairy cattle, in seasonal milking areas.     

Changes in interleukin-6 concentration in peripheral blood of pre- and post-partum dairy cattle and its relationship to postpartum reproductive diseases

Reproductive diseases after parturition are a serious problem in dairy cattle. It is important to predict postpartum reproductive diseases early and to develop prophylaxis. The objectives of this study were to demonstrate changes in the peripheral blood concentration of interleukin-6 (IL-6) before parturition, which was mainly produced by T helper 2 type (Th2) cells, and to investigate a correlation between the IL-6 concentration and the occurrence of the postpartum retained placenta, endometritis and/or follicular cyst in dairy cattle. Twenty-seven Holstein-Friesian cows were used for this study. Thirteen had no clinical disease, 8 had retained placenta, 4 were diagnosed with endometritis by vaginal inspection, and 2 were diagnosed with follicular cyst by rectal palpation at 1 and 2 months after parturition. Blood samples were collected 60 days pre- and post-partum. They used for IL-6, progesterone (P(4)) and estradiol-17beta (E(2)) concentration determination. This study showed that the IL-6 concentration prepartum was higher than postpartum. Low levels of IL-6 and P(4) in peripheral blood prepartum tended to affect retained placenta and a high level of IL-6 prepartum tended to affect endometritis. These results indicate that measurement of change in the IL-6 concentration during pregnancy is one useful tool for predicting crisis in postpartum reproductive diseases in dairy cattle.     

A hospital-based study of the relationship between retained placenta and mastitis in dairy cows

We investigated the relation between retained placenta and mastitis in Holstein dairy cows admitted to the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine. Cows with retained placenta were three times more likely to develop mastitis during hospitalization than animals without retained placenta. Since the hospital population was not representative of the general population, the possibility of a bias existed; a large bias was not likely because most distorting variables occurred equally in animals both with and without retained placenta. The literature suggests that the relationship between retained placenta and mastitis may be mediated through activity of the peripheral leukocytes. Further research is necessary to test this hypothesis.     

Reduced concentrations of apolipoproteins B-100 and A-I in serum from cows with retained placenta.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate apolipoprotein B-100 and A-I concentrations in cows with retained placenta. Animals used were cows with retained placenta alone (n = 10), those with both retained placenta and ketosis (n = 7), and controls (n = 10). Apolipoprotein B-100 concentrations at 2 to 4 d after parturition were significantly (P < 0.01) decreased in cows with retained placenta alone (mean +/- SD, 0.084 +/- 0.029 mg/ML of serum) when compared with those in control cows (0.154 +/- 0.022 mg/mL). Apolipoprotein A-I concentrations (0.713 +/- 0.177 mg/ML) were also significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those of controls (0.895 +/- 0.159 mg/mL). These decreases were more distinct for apolipoproteins B-100 (55% of controls) than A-I concentrations (80% of controls). Concentrations of apolipoprotein B-100 (0.071 +/- 0.032 mg/mL; P < 0.01) and A-I (0.708 +/- 0.189 mg/mL; P < 0.05) in the cows with both retained placenta and ketosis were also reduced, when compared with values in controls. Other than apolipoproteins, cows with retained placenta alone had significantly (P < 0.01) higher serum nonesterified fatty acids, and lower triglyceride concentrations. Significantly (P < 0.01) higher nonesterified fatty acids and lower triglyceride concentrations were similarly observed in cows with both retained placenta and ketosis.     

Induction of Parturition in the Cow using Cloprostenol and Dexamethasone in Combination

Two experiments were designed to test the hypothesis that induction of parturition in the cow would be more predictable with the simultaneous use of a combination of cloprostenol and dexamethasone than with either hormone used alone.

In experiment I all 19 beef cows treated with 500 μg cloprostenol and 25 mg dexamethasone in combination calved within 72 hours whereas dexamethasone (n = 19) or cloprostenol (n = 16) treatments alone each resulted in two induction failures. In those cows successfully induced, the mean interval from treatment to birth was 34.6 ± 1.4 hours for the cloprostenol plus dexamethasone group, 43.3 ± 2.4 hours for the dexamethasone group and 44.9 ± 2.1 hours for the cloprostenol group. Control cows (n = 15) did not calve during the first 72 hours after treatment with saline. The incidence of retained placenta ranged from 19 to 53% in induced groups whereas placentae were not retained by cows in the control group.

In experiment II all 30 beef cows in the cloprostenol plus dexamethasone group calved within the 72 hour limit, with a mean interval of 39.1 ± 1.0 hours. Twenty-six of 31 cows calved within 72 hours with a mean interval of 51.9 ± 3.4 hours after a single injection of cloprostenol and 29 of 33 cows calved within 72 hours with a mean interval of 52.6 ± 3.3 hours after two injections of cloprostenol, 12 hours apart. Five of 34 control cows calved within 72 hours of time of treatment. The incidence of retained placenta was again high in induced cows. Results indicate that the simultaneous administration of cloprostenol and dexamethasone does constitute a safe, reliable and effective method of inducing parturition in the cow.

     

Evaluation of histopathologic and physiologic changes in cows having premature births after consuming Ponderosa pine needles

Premature calving, typified by early expulsion (17 to 43 days) of weak or dead calves and accompanied by retained placentas, was induced in 8 of 9 pregnant cows fed a mixture of Ponderosa pine needles and alfalfa hay. Five control cows of comparable gestation age fed only alfalfa hay maintained normal pregnancies until they were euthanatized at the time the pine needle-treated cows were producing premature calves. Serum specimens from all cows were assayed for progesterone concentration and ovaries and placentomes were examined for histopathologic changes. There were no bacterial, fungal, chlamydial, or viral agents determined to be associated with the premature births. Serum progesterone concentration in the treated cows decreased progressively and were 0.4 to 1.5 ng/ml at the time of premature calving. Histopathologic changes were evident in the placenta and corpora lutea of treated cows only. The number of binucleate trophoblastic giant cells in placentomes was less than normal and the number of necrotic luteal cells in corpora lutea was greater than normal.     

Risk factors for metritis in Danish dairy cows

A retrospective longitudinal study of metritis was conducted in Denmark on data collected during 1993-1994. Data on herd size, breed, parity, and treatment of disease were obtained from the Danish Cattle Database. Management and production-facility data were collected using a questionnaire, conducted as a telephone interview in 1994. The study included 2144 herds from three regions in Denmark (102,060 cows). Herd-level variables included were: herd size, housing, flooring, grazing, calving measures, and calving supervision. Cow-level variables were: parity, breed, calving season and whether the cow had been treated by a veterinarian for dystocia or the diseases: retained placenta, reproductive disease, ketosis, milk fever, or dry cow mastitis.Marginal multivariable logistic-regression analyses were performed. The cow with highest odds of metritis was a first or greater than or equal to third parity cow, of large breed, that calved during November-April, in a zero-grazing herd. The cow had been treated for dystocia, retained placenta, and at least one other reproductive disease, but not for ketosis.