FAC45-47: The Postpartum Cow Flashcards

1
Q

What is the cause of vaginal/uterine tears?

A

Dystocia and excessive traction

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2
Q

How do you treat vaginal/uterine tears?

A

Urgent!

Clamp vessel if possible or apply pressure

Suturing is not normally possible

May result in recto-vaginal fistula

Use episiotomy technique in future

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3
Q

What is the cause of a uterine prolapse?

A

Associated with prolonged parturition due to oversize calf

Cows may have hypocalcaemia

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4
Q

What is the prognosis of a cow with uterine prolapse?

A

Good in most casts - occasionally cow will go into shock and die with internal haemorrhage

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5
Q

What nerves are most at risk of damage due ot large calf/dystocia?

A

Damage to nerves arising from lumbo-sacral plexus - obturator and gluteal nerves most at risk

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6
Q

Describe the normal events in the post-partum cow.

A
  • Uterine involution
  • Regeneration of endometrium
  • Elimination of bacterial contamination from uterus
  • Return of cyclic ovarian activity
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7
Q

When is the uterus completely involuted?

A

4-6 weeks

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8
Q

What factors affect the rate of involution?

A
  • Parity
  • Retained foetal membranes
  • Metritis
  • Twins
  • Hypocalcaemia/selenaemia
  • Dystocia/trauma
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9
Q

How is uterine infection eliminated after post-partum?

A

Infection eliminated by local immune response within weeks (lochia)

Early resumption of cyclicity aids elimination of infection from uterus

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10
Q

Define metritis

A

Animal that have an abnormally enlarged uterus and a purulent uterine discharge detectable in the vagina within 21 days after parturition

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11
Q

What are the grades of metritis?

A

Grade 1: enlarged uterus and a purulent uterine discharge but no pyrexia/illness

Grade 2: puerperal metritis - overt systemic illness (decreased milk yield, fever > 39.5C, reduced appetite)

Grade 3: toxaemic metritis - signs of toxaemia (cold extremities, dullness)

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12
Q

When does acute puerperal metritis appear?

A

Normally within 7 days of calving

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13
Q

How do you treat puerperal metritis?

A

Systemic antibiotic 3-5 days

NSAID

IV 3L hypertonic saline

Removal of RFM

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14
Q

Define endometritis.

A

The presence of a purulent uterine discharge detectable in the vagina 21 days or more post partum, or mucopurulent discharge detectable in the vagina after 26 days post partum

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15
Q

How do you diagnose endometritis?

A

Reach and pull out pus

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16
Q

What are the risk factors for clinical endometritis?

A
  • Dystocia, RFM
  • Dirty calving boxes
  • Delay in cyclicity
  • Fatty liver syndrome
  • Immune deficiency
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17
Q

How do you treat endometritis?

A
  • Prostaglandin injection
  • Intrauterine antibiotics
  • Antiseptic wash out
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18
Q

How do you prevent clinical endometritis?

A
  • General calving hygiene
  • Minimise dystocia
  • Avoid overfat cows
  • Ensure adequate trace element supplementation
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19
Q

Define pyometra.

A

Accumulation of purulent material within the uterine lumen in the presence of a corpse luteum and a closed cervix

20
Q

What is pyometra a continuation of?

A

May develop following endometritis when CL maintained and cervix closes

21
Q

How do you treat pyometra?

A

PG injection

22
Q

Define Foetal Membranes

A

Partial or complete retention of >12 hours post partum

Failure of normal 3rd stage labour

23
Q

What is the cause of RFM?

A

Failure of normal separation of foetal cotyledonary villi from maternal caruncles and/or primary uterine inertia

24
Q

What are the predisposing factors for RFM?

A
  1. Premature parturition
    • immature placentomes not ready for separation
    • Twin calvings
    • Late abortions
    • Induced birth
  2. Oedema of chorionic villi from trauma
    • Dystocia
    • Caesarian
    • Uterine torsion
  3. Pathological inflammation
    • Placentitis caused by abortion agent
  4. Uterine inertia
    • Hypocalcaemia
    • Low selenium
    • Hydrops
    • Twins
25
Q

Are there any sequelae to RFM?

A

Spontaneous expulsion in 5-10 days

No long term effect on fertility unless endometritis develops

26
Q

How do you treat RFM?

A
  1. Manual removal (contraindicated unless comes away easily)
  2. Ecbolic drugs (oxytocin, PGF2a)
  3. Intrauterine antibiotic pessaries
  4. Systemic antibiotics
  5. PGF2a injection after 3-4 weeks
27
Q

What is the consequence of cystic ovarian disease?

A

Delay in normal cyclicity cases extension of calving-conception interval (20-60 dd)

28
Q

Define cystic ovarian disease.

A

Fluid-filled structure >2.5 cm in diameter present for >10 days on one or both ovaries in absence of CL

29
Q

What are the different types of cysts?

A
  1. Follicular Cyst
  2. Luteal Cyst
30
Q

Compare follicular cyst and luteal cysts.

A

Follicular: thin-walled, no progesterone produced, plasma P<1ng/ml

Luteal: thicker walled, progesterone producing, plasma P>1ng/ml

31
Q

What is the aetiology of cystic ovarian disease?

A

Failure of LH surgery around time of ovulation or failure of follicle to respond to LH

32
Q

How do you diagnose cystic ovarian disease?

A

Rectal palpation

Palpation plus milk or blood progesterone analysis

Ultrasound scan for accurate determination of cyst type

33
Q

How do you treat follicular cysts?

A
  1. GnRH to induce LH surge causing cyst to luteinise or regress
  2. Human chorionic gonadotrophin (LH agonist)
  3. Progesterone
  4. Prostaglandin Injection
  5. Manual rupture
34
Q

How long does it take cows to return to cyclicity post partum?

A

90% Dairy cows by day 50

70% beef cows by day 50

35
Q

What stimulates the onset of cyclity?

A

Following calving, progesterone levels fall and FSH stimulates waves of follicles

36
Q

What hormone causes a follicle to ovulate?

A

Sufficient LH Pulse

37
Q

What controls LH secretion post partum?

A
  • Progesterone in the cyclic cow
  • Declining negative energy balance
  • Health status
  • Suckling
  • Maternal bond/calf presence
38
Q

What are the factors affecting the post partum anoestrus period?

A
  • Season - follicular activity resumes faster in autumn calvers compared to spring calvers
  • Nutrition - severe negative energy balance in late pregnancy/early post partum period will suppress LH output via metabolic hormone pathways
  • Disease - delayed uterine involution, cystic ovarian disease, persistent corpus luteum
  • Suckling - being suckled causes endorphin release which suppresses LH
  • GnRH, FSH, LH
39
Q

How do you diagnose anoestrus?

A

Two low progesterone levels in milk.blood 10 days apart

If cycling normal, 17/21 days should have high progesterone

40
Q

How do you overcome anoestrus?

A

Correct the underlying management factors

  • Decrease duration and extent of negative energy balance
  • Decrease incidence of metabolic diseases
  • Beed cows: calf removal, restricted suckling

Hormonal treatment if appropriate

41
Q

How do you treat anoestrus?

A

Progesterone (PRID, CIDR)

GnRH injection

42
Q

What causes luteolysis?

A

Pulsatile release of PGF2a from the endometrium towards the end of the luteal phase

43
Q

What hormone establishes pregnancy?

A

Relies on the production of an embryo derived antiluteolysin (IFNt)

44
Q

What is the purpose of giving GnRH at day 11-12 post service?

A

Works by preventing premature luteolysis in some cows

45
Q

What is Intercept/Ovsynch regime?

A

Combination of GnRH and PG used to synchronise dairy cows for AI

46
Q

Define a repeat breeder cow.

A

Fails to conceive following 3 or more consecutive serves at normal inter-oestrus intervals

47
Q

What are the causes of repeat breeding?

A

Chance

genetics

Undiagnosed pathology

Oocyte-embryo quality

Herd mangement