FERTILITY PARAMETERS OF DAIRY COWS WITH RETAINED PLACENTA OR ENDOMETRITIS TREATED WITH INTRAUTERINE POVIDONE IODINE FOAM

The aim of the study was to evaluate the reproductive indices in cows with retained placenta and endometritis in response to D-cloprostenol or povidone iodine (PI) foam treatment, as well as bacterial clearance and histopathological changes after PI foam intrauterine administration. The examinations were performed on a total of 113 Brown Swiss dairy cows. In experiment I, cows with retained placenta (n=42) and endometritis (n=50) were administered randomly with either PI foam (2%) (20-150 ml, intrauterine) or PGF2 alpha (150 mu g, i.m.). The uterine microbial flora was also monitored in the cows before and after PI foam administration. In experiment H, 21 cows without reproductive diseases were administered with PI foam (20 ml, intrauterine) 10, 20, and 30 d before slaughtering to evaluate the histopathology of the uterine tissue. In the cows with retained placenta, there were no effects from the treatment on the number of days to 1(st) service (d), days open (d), 1(st) service conception rate (%), and insemination index, which averaged 100, 124, 28.6, and 2.19, respectively. In the cows with endometritis, PI foam administration decreased the number of days to 1(st) service and days open - 13 and 17 d - as compared to PGF2 alpha administration, without altering the 1(st) service conception rate (26.4%) and insemination index (2.32). E. coli was the most common bacterium in these cows. On days 5 and 15, relative to PI foam administration, 56 and 100% microbial recovery were achieved. Furthermore, no degenerative changes in the laminal epithelium of uterus were detected upon PI foam administration. In conclusion, the microbial recovery and shortened days to 1(st) service and days open may suggest that a low level of PI foam can be considered as a therapeutic agent against retained placenta and endometritis.