Retention of the placenta in cows: causes and symptoms, treatment regimen and prevention

In all living beings, the birth process ends with the rejection of the placenta. Unfortunately, the appearance of offspring does not always go smoothly. Retention of the placenta is a common complication after childbirth in cows and other animal species. The body of a horned pet is sensitive to the negative effects of the environment. The delivery process can be affected by poor nutrition, lack of movement and other factors.

What is an afterbirth and what does it look like?

Then they call a special organ (placenta) that provides protection and nutrition for the calf during fetal development.The formation of the organ occurs during pregnancy, simultaneously with the development of the embryo. The placenta is a bag full of small blood vessels. The organ consists of several membranes: urinary, aqueous and vascular. In most cases, the placenta is gray in color. Due to the large number of venous nodules, the surface of the organ looks bumpy.

After 2-6 hours after birth, the separation of the placenta from the walls of the cow's uterus should occur. The maximum waiting time for a child's place to leave is 8 hours. If during this time the placenta did not come out, then we are talking about the retention of the placenta. A similar problem occurs in many species of animals, but it is cows that are most susceptible to misfortune. This is due to the specificity of the structure of the placenta in cattle. There are 2 types of separation of a child's place:

1. Complete if all the membranes have separated from the uterus and left the body of the animal.
2. Incomplete, if the baby's place is only partially separated, and the remnants of the placenta linger in the cow's uterus.

Why are there delays?

The reasons for delaying a child's place are divided into 2 categories: general (predisposing) and personal.

Common reasons include:

1. Deficiency of vitamins and minerals in the pet's body. Monotonous nutrition of the cow and the dominance of canned feed lead to beriberi.
2. High degree of obesity. During pregnancy, the pet needs additional nutrition, but a large amount of high-calorie foods leads to rapid weight gain. Any metabolic disorder threatens to retain the placenta.
3. A clear lack of weight.
4. Carrying more than 1 fetus. Too large fruit also threatens the problem. In both cases, the walls of the uterus are strongly deformed and stretched, as a result, the organ does not contract well.
5. Insufficient physical activity. Reducing the number of walking inevitably leads to a weakening of the tone of the uterus of the pet. In winter, cows are limited in their movements, so retained placenta occurs in many nurseries.

Personal reasons include:

1. Fusion of a child's place with uterine tissues.
2. Individual features of the structure of organs. These may be bends or other pathologies.
3. Complete atony or partially weakened tension of the animal's uterus.
4. Past diseases (mastitis or endometritis). Even a cold that attacks a pet during pregnancy can lead to trouble.
5. Congenital malformations of the fetus.
6. Injury to the birth canal during difficult, complicated labor.

Signs and symptoms

Cattle have 2 types of complications associated with separation of the placenta: complete and partial. With the complete retention of the child's place in the vaginal area, fragments of the membranes are visible.

They usually have a grayish or red tint. With the complete absence of uterine tone, the placenta is completely hidden in the organ cavity.

Pathogenic microbes easily enter the birth canal. Pathogenic microflora rapidly develops in the uterus, and as a result, the pet's body undergoes severe intoxication.

1. The animal is depressed, sluggishly reacts to external stimuli.
2. Parts of the placenta hang from under the pet's tail. After 2 days, the shells begin to gradually decompose (in winter, the process of decay begins after 4 days). Decomposition occurs in the form of purulent-catarrhal endometritis. Mucus mixed with particles of pus comes out of the cow's vagina.
3. The baby seat emits an unpleasant odor and becomes flabby.
4. Due to inflammatory processes in the cow, the temperature rises sharply.
5. The animal loses its appetite. In some cases, there is an upset bowel.
6. The pet is producing little milk.
7. The cow pushes, hunches her back and tightens her stomach.
8. The coat of the pet is dull, disheveled.
9. The animal suffers from rapid heartbeat and low blood pressure.
10. Burenka makes moaning sounds.

How to diagnose the problem

Calving should take place under the supervision of the owner. Thus, it is easier to control the process of childbirth. Animals often eat the placenta, and in this case it is not easy to establish whether the child's place was detained. Do not panic if the pet ate the placenta, nothing threatens the he alth of the cow. If more than 8 hours have passed since calving, and the afterbirth has not departed, you should seek help from a specialist. The veterinarian will examine the cow and examine the inside of the uterus. Farmers with many years of experience carry out diagnostics on their own.Wearing special gloves on his hand, the specialist gently inserts his hand into the pet's vagina and carefully feels the walls of the uterus.

If the fingers feel for accumulations of clots or particles of membranes, it means that the placenta has been retained. In the case of partial separation of the placenta, the diagnosis is established on the basis of a visual examination. Separate fragments of the placenta come out and are clearly visible to the naked eye.

In some cases, the afterbirth is laid out on a flat surface and carefully examined. The integrity of the child's place is judged by the thickness of the membranes, the presence of ruptures and the condition of the vessels. If the veterinarian has any doubts, the placenta is subjected to bacteriological and microscopic analysis.

Treatment methods

The initial stage of treatment consists of auxiliary ways to solve the problem. The procedures are aimed at strengthening the muscles of the uterus and increasing the overall tone of the animal. A sick pet is satisfied with a daily exercise. The procedure is carried out 2 times a day, in the morning and evening. The duration of an active walk is 30-40 minutes. If the hanging placenta interferes with the movements of the pet, the placenta is tied up. To do this, several knots are made on the shells. In this case, the cow will not be able to touch the hanging placenta with her legs and will be able to move freely.

Effective treatment of the animal with amniotic fluid. 6-7 liters of healing liquid is collected during calving. The substance is diluted with clean warm water and allowed to drink to the pet. At one time, take 2 liters of amniotic fluid and 2 liters of clean water. In severe cases, the procedure is repeated 3 times, with an interval of 6 hours. The therapeutic effect of amniotic fluid occurs within 30 minutes after consumption.

To replenish lost strength and increase the overall tone of the pet, give 500 g of honey or sugar.The delicacy is diluted in 1 liter of clean, hot water. If supportive measures do not bring results, you should immediately proceed to medical treatment, and in severe cases, to surgical intervention. Delayed action leads to swelling of the caruncles in the uterine cavity and the rapid development of pathogenic microflora.

Operation

If medical treatment does not give tangible results, it is necessary to do an operation. The veterinarian injects the animal with an anesthetic and proceeds to the procedure. Holding the hanging parts of the membranes with the fingers of the left hand, the veterinarian inserts the right hand into the pet's vagina and removes the placenta. If the child's place has grown together with the wall of the uterus, the placenta is carefully separated with fingers. In no case should the shells be separated by force. To facilitate the procedure, the veterinarian massages the walls of the organ. This helps to separate the placenta naturally.

Then the cavity is carefully felt and the remaining shell particles are removed.After the end of the surgical intervention, the organ is treated with antibacterial drugs ("Tricillin", "Exuter", "Metromax"). Also, the uterine cavity should be treated with 10% saline solution, furatsilin or potassium permanganate solution.

Medicines

To strengthen the muscles of the uterus, a 10% calcium chloride solution or a glucose solution (40%) is used. For one individual, 150-200 ml of the product is enough. The medicine is administered to the pet intravenously. The treatment regimen is prescribed by a specialist. Some experts use 5% solution of hypertonic sodium chloride. 5 liters of a warm solution is poured into the uterine cavity of the pet. As a result of the procedure, the membranes are compressed, and the uterus makes contractile movements.

Hormonal drugs

Atonia of the animal's uterus is affected by hormonal drugs. The means to return the body to its former muscles will help: "Sinestrol" (1% oily solution), "Pituitrin", "Prozerin" (0.5%), "Carbacholin" (0.01 aqueous solution), "Estron".

Antibiotics

Usually veterinarians use Tricilin. The composition of the product includes streptomycin, penicillin, as well as white streptocide. The drug is made in the form of candles or powder. For one individual, 1 bottle of the product or 3-4 candles is enough. A day later, the procedure is repeated. The third dose of medication is given 48 hours later.

Possible danger

Delay in diagnosis and treatment threatens animals with severe, and sometimes irreversible, consequences. In a sick cow, metabolic processes are disturbed, a serious endometrial lesion occurs, and a destructive pathogenic microflora develops in the uterus.This leads to a general poisoning of the cow's body and sepsis. A neglected disease ends with the death of the pet.

Prevention measures

Avoid postpartum complications with simple steps:

1. Properly composed diet. Animal feed must contain the required amount of vital trace elements and vitamins.
2. Frequent walks. Physical activity contributes to the normal development of the muscles of the pet.
3. Maintaining cleanliness in places where cows are kept.

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