Ovarian and uterine disturbances occured in the puerperium of cows and their relationship with progesterone in the milk

Abstract

Seventy-two dairy cows were submitted to weekly rectal palpation exames until 42^nd day post-parturition (p.p.) and progesterone dosages by Radioimmunoassay (RIA) and Enzymimmunoassay (EIA) until the 72^nd day p.p., were performed. It was observed that 9.7% of the animals bore follicular cysts, 6.9% were completely acyclic, 6.9% had corpus luteum persistens or luteinic cyst, 22.2% were affected by endometritis and 6.9% had endometritis associated with follicular cysts. Follicular cysts appeared in average on the 29 ± 8.1 day p.p. while the first progesterone peak occurred on the 56.4 ± 7.8 day p.p. Cases of luteinic cysts or corpus luteum persistens appeared only after the 42^nd day p.p. Inadequate obstetric manipulations at parturition time could rise very much the endometritis incidence in a given herd.