Abnormally terminated pregnancies in a Tanzanian dairy herd: consequences and clinical management

Of 314 calvings, there were 67 (21.4%) abnormally terminated pregnancies (ATP), 37 of which were abortions, 19 stillbirths and 11 premature calvings. Forty-nine cows with ATP were matched to normally calving herd mates and their milk production data and fertility indices were compared. The ATP were associated with complete failure of lactation in 21 (42%) cases and with short lactation lengths of less than 200 days in nine (18.3%) cases. Lactation in the remaining 19 (38.7%) cows was characterized by a low lactation yield of 2318 ± 211 kg and lactation length 296 ± 13 days. Corresponding parameters for the control herd mates were 3250 ± 190 kg and 314 ± 12 days, respectively. The number of days to first service services per conception and calving interval cows with ATP were 139 ± 17 days, 2.29 ± 0.15 and 465 ± 23,days, respectively. Corresponding fertility indices in the control group were 107 ± 9 days, 1.83 |+- 4.18 and 407 ± 12 days, respectively. Also 11 of 49 (22.3%) cows, with ATP were culled because of infertility witcompared with only five (10.2%) in the controls.

Twenty-six other cows with ATP were randomly difided into two groups. In Group 1, 14 cows were treated with 100 ml of 6% colloidal iodine (Merckojod®, Bayer, Leverkusen, Germany), 40–50 days after calving followed by a prostaglandin F₂ analogue (Estrumate®, ICI, Cheshire, UK) 20 days later. In Group 2, 12 cows were left untreated and served as a control. Treatment reduced the interval to First service by 63 days and the calving interval by 79 days and it increased services per conception by 0.38. No culling was recorded from this group. ATP not only denied a calf to the farm but also reduced milk production. Intrauterine administration of colloidal iodine coupled with PGF₂ could bring ATP animals to near normal fertility.