THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS ON THE UTERUS AND PLACENTA FOLLOWING CONSERVATIVE AND SURGICAL METHODS

Dystocia is one of the common reasons for the retention of the afterbi rth in cows. In a study to prevent this primiparous and multiparous da iry cows which had either caesarean sections of conservative assistanc e at parturition were treated during the procedure, im mediately post surgery or post partum with pharmaceutical products affecting uterine tone. Group 1 was treated with a secale-alkaloid (2 mg i.m.), the seco nd group received 50 IU of oxytocin intramuscularly together with 35 g calcium borogluconate in solution subcutaneously. The third group rec eived oxytocin intra-myometrially (30 IU), the fourth group was treate d with the beta(2)-adrenoreceptor blocking formulation carazolol at a nose of 5 mg intramuscularly the fifth group was injected intravenousl y with the prostaglandin F-2 alpha-analogue tiaprost and Group 6 recei ved the long acting oxytoxin formulation carbetocine at a dose of 0.35 mg intramuscularly. In comparison with an untreated control group of heifers and cows which had caesarean sections, no reduction in the inc idence of retained placenta was observed whatever the parity of the an imal. Animals which only received conservative assistance at calving w ere formed into three treatment groups. The first group received the s ame dose of carazolol, the second group received tiaprost and the thir d group carbetocine. The results of these treatments compared with unt reated primiparous and multiparous cows with dystokia and conservative finishing of parturition indicated no effect of treatment with carazo lol. However; the incidence of release of placentae was increased in p rimiparous animals treated with tiaprost or carbetocine; no effects we re observed in multiparous cows. These results are discussed.