Comparison of two methods of detecting purulent vaginal discharge in postpartum dairy cows and effect of intrauterine cephapirin on reproductive performance

• Published in: Australian veterinary journal 2009-09, Vol.87 (9), p.369-378
• Main Authors: Runciman, D.J, Anderson, G.A, Malmo, J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Administration, Intravaginal; animal reproduction; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - administration & dosage; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; calving; Cattle; cattle diseases; Cattle Diseases - diagnosis; Cattle Diseases - drug therapy; cephapirin; Cephapirin - administration & dosage; Cephapirin - therapeutic use; dairy cattle; dairy cows; Diagnostic Techniques, Obstetrical and Gynecological - instrumentation; Diagnostic Techniques, Obstetrical and Gynecological - veterinary; disease detection; endometritis; Endometritis - diagnosis; Endometritis - drug therapy; Endometritis - veterinary; Endoscopy - veterinary; Female; intrauterine administration; Metricheck; Metricheck device; postpartum interval; Postpartum Period; Puerperal Disorders - diagnosis; Puerperal Disorders - drug therapy; Puerperal Disorders - veterinary; purulent discharge; reproduction; Reproduction - physiology; Suppuration - diagnosis; Suppuration - drug therapy; Suppuration - veterinary; vagina; Vaginal Discharge - diagnosis; Vaginal Discharge - drug therapy; Vaginal Discharge - veterinary; vaginal diseases; vaginoscopy; veterinary drugs; veterinary equipment
• ISSN: 0005-0423; 1751-0813
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.2009.00469.x

Objective  Part 1: compare the use of a Metricheck™ device (a stainless steel probe with a semi‐spherical rubber cup attached at one end) to sample the contents of the anterior vagina with a vaginal speculum examination for the diagnosis of pus in the vagina of postpartum dairy cows and to investigate the association of that pus with reproductive performance. Part 2: assess the effect of a single intrauterine infusion of 500 mg cephapirin in cows diagnosed with vaginal purulent or mucopurulent discharge 7 to 28 days after calving on reproductive performance. Procedure  Six herds were visited fortnightly to examine cows that had calved between 7 and 28 days (n = 423) with both the Metricheck device and a vaginal speculum to score, by each method, the vaginal discharge from 0 (clear or absent) to 3 (purulent) for each animal included in the study. Half of the cows that had a positive discharge score (1 to 3 by either examination method) were then treated with an intrauterine infusion of 500 mg of cephapirin. The relationship between Metricheck score, vaginoscopy score, treatment and reproductive performance was assessed. Results  There was a substantial measure of agreement between each method when scores were analysed by status. Cows that were positive with either method had inferior reproductive performance compared with cows with a score of zero. Treatment of cows diagnosed with a purulent or mucopurulent discharge with intrauterine cephapirin improved reproductive performance in both the vaginoscopy and Metricheck groups.