THE USE OF OXYTOCIN FOR THE REDUCTION OF COW PLACENTAL RETENTION, ANDSUBSEQUENT ENDOMETRITIS

Oxytocin was administered to reduce incidence of retained placenta and uterine infections that could delay subsequent conception. Three hund red and fifty multiparous Friesian cows, each with spontaneous deliver y of a single calf were divided randomly into two groups. Some (n = 17 5) were injected with 30 IU of oxytocin immediately after delivery and again 2-4 h later, while the remainder formed an untreated control gr oup. The placental retention 24 h after parturition was 24.6% and 10.9 % in control and treated animals respectively (P < 0.01). Endometritis occurred in 51.6% of the animals following placental retention as com pared to 10.4% of those with normal expulsion of the fetal membranes ( P < 0.001). A comparison of reproductive indices showed a statisticall y significant improvement of fertility in treated cows with the averag e interval from calving to conception being reduced from 124.4 d to 93 .7 d (P < 0.0001). (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.