title: The use of oxytocin for the reduction of cow placental retention, and subsequent endometritis.
abstract: Oxytocin was administered to reduce incidence of retained placenta and uterine infections that could delay subsequent conception. Three hundred and fifty multiparous Friesian cows, each with spontaneous delivery of a single calf were divided randomly into two groups. Some (n = 175) were injected with 30 IU of oxytocin immediately after delivery and again 2-4 h later, while the remainder formed an untreated control group. The placental retention 24 h after parturition was 24.6% and 10.9% in control and treated animals respectively (P < 0.01). Endometritis occurred in 51.6% of the animals following placental retention as compared to 10.4% of those with normal expulsion of the fetal membranes (P < 0.001). A comparison of reproductive indices showed a statistically significant improvement of fertility in treated cows with the average interval from calving to conception being reduced from 124.4 d to 93.7 d (P < 0.0001).
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Clinica Ostetrica e Ginecologica Veterinaria, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Milan, Italy. clostvet@imiucca.csi.unimi.it
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mollo
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Veronesi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cairoli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Soldano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004716:Endometritis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000502:physiology; D015994:Incidence; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular / Q000662:veterinary; D010120:Oxytocics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018457:Placenta, Retained / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D010120:Oxytocics; D010121:Oxytocin