TREATMENT OF METRITIS WITH ANTIBIOTICS OR PROSTAGLANDIN-F2-ALPHA AND INFLUENCE OF OVARIAN CYCLICITY IN DAIRY-COWS

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 45  (6) , 1090-1094
Abstract
From 4 dairy herds with a high prevalence of metritis, 153 cows with clinical metritis diagnosed at 30 days after calving were allotted randomly to 3 groups: intrauterine antibiotics (chloramphenicol, framycetin) given in 3 doses, 1 wk between doses (n = 53); prostaglandin F2.alpha. given i.m. in 2 doses, 14 days between doses (n = 61) and control cows given a placebo (n = 39). To further evaluate the efficiency of the treatments, uterine swabs were prepared from 59 of the cows; Corynebacterium pyogenes was isolated in 51% of the cows. All isolated bacteria were susceptible to chloramphenicol and 85% to neomycin and related antibiotics (framycetin). The overall clinical recovery rates, estimated by 60 days after parturition, were identical (49%) in the 2 treated groups vs. 33% in controls. The mean interval from calving to conception was 147 days in the controls and was shortened by 16 days in group 1 and 24 days in group 2. The physiologic status, i.e., ovarian cyclicity, exerted a significant influence on the time required for recovery. On the average, anestrous cows recovered in 14 days and conceived 34 days later than did cycling cows.