EFFECT OF RETAINED PLACENTA ON SUBSEQUENT BACTERIOLOGICAL AND CYTOLOGICAL INTRAUTERINE ENVIRONMENT AND REPRODUCTION IN HOLSTEIN DAIRY-COWS

To determine the effect of retained placenta on the characteristics of the intrauterine environment in dairy cows, bacteriological and cytol ogical tests were performed on intrauterine perfusion fluid. The rate of cows with more than 70% neutrophils or fewer than 40% lymphocytes i n inflammatory cells was 48.0% (12/25), while the rate and with more t han 50 bacterial colonies/0.1 ml of perfusate was 96.0% (24/25) at 30 d after parturition. Actinomyces pyogenes was isolated from 56.0% (14/ 25). At 60 d after parturition, however, these values were significant ly improved to 20.0% (5/25), 48.0% (12/25) and 12.0% (3/25), respectiv ely. No significant differences in subsequent reproductive performance were observed between cows with and without retained placenta. The re sults suggest that injury to the intrauterine environment caused by re tained placenta is largely healed by 60 d after parturition. (C) 1997 by Elsevier Science Inc.