Retención de membranas fetales y patologías uterinas en vacas lecheras tratadas con PGF2α después del parto

In order to determine its effect on incidence of retained fetal membranes (RFM) and postpartum uterine pathologies in dairy cows, the administration of two injections of PGF2α in the first 48 h after parturition was tested. In this study, 800 cows with different parities were randomly assigned to two treatment groups: PGF2α (n= 400), receiving two postpartum PGF2α injections (500 μg of cloprostenol sodium), one during the first 12 h and one at 48 h; and control (n= 400), not receiving PGF2α. The incidence of RFM (cows that had not expelled the placenta at 24 h postpartum), and of postpartum uterine pathologies (metritis and endometritis), was registered, as well as pregnancy rate at first service and percentage of pregnant cows at d 150 postpartum. Control cows had a higher probability of presenting RFM (Odds ratio 1.69; P= 0.01) than cows treated with PGF2α. Likewise, the proportion of cows with uterine pathologies at d 28 postpartum was lower (P= 0.01) in cows treated with PGF2α (29.8 %) than in control cows (36.7 %). The accumulated pregnancy rate at d 150 postpartum was higher in cows with normal involution than in cows with uterine pathologies (Odds ratio 1.4, P= 0.03). It is concluded that two injections of PGF2α in the first 48 h postpartum (at 12 and 48 h) lowers the incidence of RFM and of uterine pathologies in dairy cows.