Defining clinical diagnosis and treatment of puerperal metritis in dairy cows: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Puerperal metritis (PM) is a common infectious disease in dairy cattle. Currently there are discrepancies between clinical case definitions within and between available peer-reviewed literature and on-farms practices. The inconsistent use of PM criteria across studies and on-farm practices can result in disparities related to recommendations for treating cows, af­fecting judicious use of antimicrobials. Our objective was to systematically review literature for clinical signs used as diag­nostic criteria for PM, including local (e.g., vaginal discharge) and systemic signs of infection (e.g., fever, drop in milk).