The afterbirth of a cow how long does it take: what it looks like and what to do if it hasn’t left

The opinions of veterinarians about how long a cow's afterbirth normally comes out still differ. Someone thinks that you should not panic if the placenta has not come out within three days, others recommend waiting a day and taking action. Coming to a common opinion, experts warn that the placenta should depart 12 hours after calving. If this does not happen, the cow needs help to avoid serious he alth consequences and even death.

What causes the delay

Many literary sources say that the release of the membranes after calving should occur in a cow no later than 12 hours, while the delay in the release of the placenta by 8-9 hours, in most cases, requires the intervention of a specialist.In old-bearing cows and bearing several calves at once, this time can be extended up to 16 hours.

The reasons why the afterbirth does not go away on its own may be as follows:

• insufficient uterine tone or complete cessation of organ contractions - occurs due to insufficient physical activity of the cow. If an animal walks less than 10 kilometers a day, muscle tissue, including uterine tissue, relaxes. As a result, the organ cannot expel the membranes on its own;
• obesity and metabolic disorders - observed as a result of overfeeding, the predominance of sour beet pulp, pickled corn grain, silage in the cow's diet;
• deficiency of vitamins and nutrients - calcium, phosphorus, selenium and vitamin E;
• prolonged labor - more often the placenta does not go away on its own if two calves are born or one, but too large a fetus, especially if it is incorrectly located in the uterus;
• too frequent childbirth, leading to excessive stretching of the muscles of the uterine walls;
• systemic diseases (brucellosis, vibriosis) causing caruncle turgor;
• infectious pathologies in the tissues of the uterus and amniotic fluid (chorion), leading to fusion of the fetal part with the maternal part of the placenta.

In order for the placenta to pass on its own, the full maturity of the placenta is important. With a lack of the hormone estrogen responsible for the maturation of the placental tissue, there are problems with the separation of the membranes, more often in young cows and heifers.

Signs and symptoms

If the afterbirth does not come out on its own within the right time, it is important to call a veterinarian who will examine and note warning signs:

• animal looks tired and depressed, refuses food and water;
• cow's temperature rises;
• animal stoops, arches its back;
• regular attempts are observed, similar to the urge to urinate;
• a cow's milk supply is decreasing.

When the placenta has not gone completely, and large pieces of the fetal membrane remain in the uterus, after 1-2 days they will begin to decompose due to the multiplication of pathogenic microorganisms inside the organ. The cow begins to mucus-bloody discharge, sometimes with an admixture of pus, with a sharp unpleasant odor.

Diagnostic measures

Diagnose that the afterbirth could not move away on its own, the veterinarian can according to the characteristic clinical picture. It is necessary to palpate the uterine cavity and vagina.

It is possible to confirm that the uterus has not been cleared of the membranes, and the inflammatory process has begun, using a laboratory study of blood - a pronounced leukocytosis and an increase in ESR will indicate an incipient infection. If necessary, a histological and cytological examination of the placental tissue is performed.

Treatment methods

Starting treatment in the early postpartum period, if the afterbirth has not separated on its own, will prevent negative consequences for the cow's he alth and will quickly give a positive effect. The animal needs quality care, feeding, drinking plenty of clean water.

First of all, conservative therapy is used, aimed at independent separation of the remains of the placenta. It starts within 8-16 hours after calving. If the birth was difficult, it is recommended to start drug treatment immediately, without waiting for complications. Only if it is ineffective is manual cleaning of the uterus indicated.

Operation

If the afterbirth still did not come out on its own within 16 hours after calving, and conservative therapy did not give positive results, it is necessary to manually select the placental tissue from the uterus. This should only be done by a specialist. It is recommended to select the placenta 2-3 days after calving, since it will be problematic to do this earlier, and the risk of postpartum hemorrhage increases.

Delivering cleaning longer should not be done either, because the decomposition of the membranes will cause general intoxication of the animal's body.

Even with a highly qualified veterinarian, he is not always able to completely remove the remains of the placenta, which is why the cow has to be treated with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drugs in the future. After manual cleaning of the uterus, the animal is shown antibiotics administered inside the organ:

• "Penocefur" is a third-generation antibiotic with a broad spectrum of action. Forms a foam that destroys pathogenic microflora. Has a minimum number of side effects, does not affect the quality and quantity of milk;
• "Carotil" is an intrauterine antimicrobial agent with bacteriostatic and antioxidant properties. The substances that make up the drug help reduce inflammation and accelerate tissue healing.

Immediately after the operation, it is important to prevent intoxication and inject the animal intravenously with 200 milliliters of 40% glucose and 200 milliliters of 10% calcium chloride solution. To improve the discharge of lochia, you can do rectal massage of the uterus.

Medicines

Even with the efforts of the veterinarian to remove the placenta completely, this is not always possible, which can lead to endometritis. Immediately after cleaning the uterus, it is necessary to introduce 3-4 suppositories with disinfecting properties into the organ cavity:

• "Iodopen";
• "Ginobiotic";
• Metromax;
• "Nifumen";
• Enroflon.

Intrauterine drugs should be administered twice a day until the cervix is closed, making the use of such drugs no longer possible.

Highlyukovit has a good antimicrobial effect - it is injected, in addition to preparations in the form of suppositories and vaginal tablets. A single dose is 40 milliliters divided into two injections (20 milliliters on each side of the base of the cow's tail into the paravaginal tissue and pelvic cavity).The tool is used every other day until the fetid discharge completely disappears (on average, 7-10 days).

Hormonal drugs

It is recommended to use hormonal preparations before manual intervention to cleanse the uterus, when the placenta does not separate on its own within the allotted time. The main hormonal agent that helps in the discharge of the fetal membrane is Oxytocin. At a dose of 50 milliliters, it helps to contract the uterine muscles and separate the remnants of the placenta, followed by their release.

Another effective hormonal drug is Magestrofan. The substance cloprostenol contained in it (a synthetic analogue of prostaglandin F2a) contributes to the rapid resorption of the corpus luteum formed during pregnancy and an increase in the contractile activity of the uterus. The dosage for a cow is 3-4 milliliters 6-12 hours after calving.

The drug "Uterobag", used to improve the discharge of the placenta, contains propranolol hydrochloride, which acts on endogenous oxytocin.An increase in the level of the hormone leads to uterine contractions and the expulsion of the placenta. To achieve the effect of "Uterobag", they inject into a vein three times at intervals of 12 hours.

When the uterus is independently cleaned from the remnants of the afterbirth, liquid suppositories "Endometramag Green" are injected intrauterine at a dosage of 150 milliliters. The tool effectively suppresses the viral, fungal and bacterial flora, preventing further infection of the uterus and the development of the inflammatory process.

Antibiotics

Antibacterial drugs are used to remove an acute inflammatory process in the uterus, accompanied by fever in the animal, the release of fetid mucus with purulent inclusions, and also after manual cleaning of the uterus. Modern, cattle-safe products:

• Cefthiomax is a broad-spectrum drug from the group of third-generation cephalosporins. Effectively acts on the most common pathogens of necrobacteriosis and causing the development of postpartum endometritis. The dosage is selected based on the body weight of the cow - 1 milliliter per 50 kilograms of weight. One injection is made per day, the course of treatment is 5-7 days;
• "Bicillin 3" is an antibiotic from the group of semi-synthetic penicillins. An adult cow is injected with 10,000 IU once every 3 days for two weeks;
• Ceftimag is a drug based on ceftiofur, a third-generation cephalosporin. If the placenta is not cleared after calving, and endometritis has developed, the agent is administered daily once a course of 3-5 days at the rate of 1 milliliter per 100 kilograms of weight.

Don't try to give a cow an antibiotic in tablet form - the animal will not eat bitter medicine, and her condition may worsen by the development of indigestion and diarrhea.

Folk recipes

To make the afterbirth easier to separate, folk methods are also used if the owner of the cow does not have the opportunity to call a veterinarian for help:

• frequent milking of a cow - helps to increase the level of oxytocin, which is responsible for the contractility of the uterus;
• feeding the animal with a sweet solution - 400 grams of sugar diluted in a liter of water (it is necessary for the cow to drink at least 2 liters of liquid);
• collecting amniotic fluid and drinking it to the cow - substances present in the composition of the fluid increase the activity of uterine contractions and facilitate the discharge of the placenta.

In difficult situations, when the he alth and life of a cow is in danger, it is better not to use folk remedies, but to contact an experienced veterinarian for an emergency solution to the problem.

Possible consequences

With prolonged non-discharge of the placenta, the cow may develop he alth problems in the future - impossibility of insemination, infertility. If you ignore the dangerous symptoms, the animal develops endometritis - an inflammation of the mucous tissue of the uterus of bacterial etiology, which can be complicated by mastitis. Therapeutic measures not taken within a few days provoke further blood poisoning and can lead to the death of the cow.

Preventive measures

So that cows do not have problems with the discharge of the placenta, it is important to observe prevention - to avoid the causes that provoke weak labor activity and retention of the fetal membrane. It is necessary to follow the correct diet, enriched with vitamins and minerals, to graze animals daily, giving them the opportunity to actively move.

You can give additional portions of vitamin E by injection or as part of the feed, but not during the dry period, so as not to provoke placental abruption and oxygen starvation of the calf.

Delayed or incomplete discharge of the placenta is a common problem among cows, which, if not treated in time, has a negative impact on reproductive function. Prevention of violations of labor activity and high-quality complex therapy contribute to the prevention of serious complications for the he alth of the cow.

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