Treatment of placental retention with ecbolic drugs and its effect on subsequent fertility in crossbred cows

This study was conducted to examine the fertility response in cows with ret ained fetal membranes (RFM) following treatment with ecbolic drugs. Dairy c ows (n=32) that had RFM more than 12 hr after parturition were randomly ass igned to 1 of 4 treatment groups; group 1,daily intrauterine infusion of 4 oriprim bolus until membranes were expelled and i.m. injections of 30 IU sy notocinon, 15 mg luprostiol plus 10mg, estradiol valerate; group 2, oriprim as similar to group I and oxytetracycline injections; group 3, oriprim as in groups 1 and 2 plus a herbal drug, 20 g metrali daily for 5 days and gro up 4 served as untreated controls. Cows were monitored daily. Subsequent di sease conditions were recorded. The blood samples were collected from all c ows for determination of biochemical parameters and hormonal profile. The r esults revealed that the interval from parturition to expulsion of fetal me mbranes was unaffected by treatment regimen. Reproductive efficiency, as de termined on the basis of the interval from parturition to conception (136.8 +/- 26.3 day) and number of services per conception (3.0 +/- 0.50) was sig nificantly better in group I than that of control cows. The study also show ed that globulins and immunoglobulins Levels were higher in RFM cows. Signi ficant increase in serum alkaline phosphatase and tactic dehydrogenase leve ls in RFM cows suggested that estimation of these biochemical parameters wo uld have prognostic value in postpartum complications. It may be concluded that the administration of ecbolic drugs in cows with RFM may hasten the re sumption of normal reproductive activity.