Aetiology of reduced milk ejection in cows after transport and the use of a long-acting analogue of oxytocin for prophylaxis

Milk flow was recorded in 21 cows for three days after they were admitted t o a large animal hospital. When the spontaneous flow of milk had stopped, a physiological dose (1 iu) of oxytocin was administered intravenously. Five of the cows were, in addition, treated with 0.35 mg of a long-acting analo gue of oxytocin (carbetocin) one hour before the first milking after they w ere admitted. In the 16 cows not treated with carbetocin, only about 30 per cent of the total milk yield was released spontaneously on the first day, and Milk flow was recorded in 21 cows for three days after they were admitt ed to a large animal hospital. When the injection of 1 iu of oxytocin relea sed approximately another 60 per cent of the total milk yield. On the secon d day, the proportion of the total milk yield released spontaneously increa sed and the fraction released after the injection of 1 iu oxytocin decrease d. In contrast the five cows treated with carbetocin released on average 94 per cent of the total milk yield spontaneously during the first milking.