Failure of clinical cure in dairy cows treated for metritis is associated with reduced productive and reproductive performance

Abstract

Objectives were to assess reproductive and productive outcomes associated with failure of clinical cure in dairy cows diagnosed with metritis following antimicrobial therapy. This retrospective cohort study included data from 3 experiments performed in 5 dairies. Metritis was characterized by the presence of watery, fetid, reddish-brownish vaginal discharge within 21 DIM (study d 0). Cows not diagnosed with metritis (i.e., cows may have had other diseases postpartum; NoMT; n = 1,194) were paired based on lactation number and calving date. All cows with metritis received antimicrobial therapy (ampicillin or ceftiofur). Clinical cure was evaluated on d 10 based on vaginal discharge score, and cows were categorized as cured (MTC; n = 1,111) or not cured (MTnoC; n = 299). Purulent vaginal discharge (28 ± 3 or 32 ± 3 DIM), cytological endometritis (35 ± 3 or 39 ± 3 DIM), and estrous cyclicity (50 ± 3 and 64 ± 3, 36 ± 3 and 50 ± 3, or 37 ± 5 and 51 ± 5 DIM) were evaluated in subgroups of cows. Proportions of cows with purulent vaginal discharge and cytological endometritis were greatest for MTnoC (91.7 and 91.4%), intermediate for MTC (74.0 and 73.3%), and smallest for NoMT (38.1 and 36.4%). Proportion of cyclic cows was smaller for MTnoC compared with MTC and NoMT (62.0, 71.0, and 71.0%). Pregnancy per artificial insemination following first service was smaller for cows with metritis compared with their counterparts with no metritis (NoMT = 28.1, MTC = 26.1, MTnoC = 22.0%). Pregnancy loss tended to be greater for MTnoC compared with MTC (NoMT = 11.5, MTC = 11.1, MTnoC = 18.4%). Hazard of pregnancy by 300 DIM was smallest for MTnoC, intermediate for MTC, and greatest for NoMT. Death by 60 DIM (3.9, 1.1, and 0.6%) and removal from herd by 300 DIM (26.3, 17.4, and 15.4%) were greatest for MTnoC compared with MTC and NoMT, respectively. Milk production among multiparous cows was smaller for MTnoC compared with MTC and NoMT in the first 10 mo postpartum, whereas MTC produced less milk compared with NoMT only during the first 2 mo postpartum (NoMT = 42.0 ± 0.22, MTC = 40.6 ± 0.28, MTnoC = 37.7 ± 0.54 kg/d). Failure of clinical cure was not associated with milk yield in primiparous cows (NoMT = 35.2 ± 0.31, MTC = 33.9 ± 0.31, MT-noC = 35.0 ± 0.52 kg/d). Cows diagnosed with metritis that do not undergo clinical cure by 10 d of onset of antimicrobial therapy have impaired reproductive performance, reduced milk production, and increased risk of leaving the herd.

Population characteristics of pathogenic Escherichia coli in puerperal metritis of dairy cows in Ningxia region of China: a systemic taxa distribution of virulence factors and drug resistance genes

“…Depressed, dehydrated, anorexic (fasting), shortness of breath, decreased milk production, tachycardia, decreased rumination, enlarged uterus on rectal examination. Cows with body temperature above 39.5°C and foul-smelling uterine contents were diagnosed with puerperal metritis ( Lomb et al, 2018 ; Figueiredo et al, 2021 ).…”

Invited review: Maximizing value and minimizing waste in clinical trial research in dairy cattle: Selecting interventions and outcomes to build an evidence base

“…Metritis is characterized by fetid uterine discharge, which is associated with uterine bacterial dysbiosis (Galvão et al, 2019). The consequences of metritis and its response to therapy may or may not depend on whether the cow has a fever at diagnosis (Giuliodori et al, 2013;Figueiredo et al, 2021). In this case, there is no clearly established case definition (Sannmann et al, 2012;de Lima, 2020).…”

Integrating uterine microbiome and metabolome to advance the understanding of the uterine environment in dairy cows with metritis

“…Metritis affects around 25% of Holstein cows shortly after calving [ 1 ], impacting production, reproduction, culling, and welfare [ 2 – 4 ]. Metritis is characterized by a dysbiosis of the uterine microbiome in which opportunistic pathogenic bacteria such as Fusobacterium , Porphyromonas , and Bacteroides overtake the uterine commensals such as Mycoplasma and Ruminococcus [ 5 – 7 ].…”