Effects of metritis treatment strategies on health, behavior, reproductive, and productive responses of Holstein cows

Abstract

Our objectives were to compare the effects of ceftiofur crystalline free acid (CCFA) and ampicillin trihydrate (AMP) treatments of cows diagnosed with metritis on uterine health, behavior, reproductive, and productive responses. A controlled randomized clinical trial was designed. Metritis was defined as vaginal discharge (VD) = 5 (fetid, watery, red/brown) within 21 d in milk (DIM) and rectal temperature (RT) <39.5°C, whereas VD = 5 and RT ≥39.5°C was defined as puerperal metritis. On the day of diagnosis (d 0), cows were paired by parity and severity of metritis (metritis vs. puerperal metritis) and assigned randomly to the AMP and CCFA treatments. Cows enrolled in the AMP (n = 308) treatment were moved to a nonsalable-milk pen, where they were treated once daily for 5 d, and were moved back to their original pen 72 h after the last treatment (d 7). Cows enrolled in the CCFA (n = 310) treatment remained in their original pen and received 2 treatments of CCFA, 72 h apart. Rectal temperature was measured daily from d 0 to 6 and on d 11. Vaginal discharge was evaluated on d 4, 6, and 11 to assess cure. Cure was defined as the absence of treatment with additional antimicrobial before experiment d 11, VD <5, and RT <39.5°C. Cows were examined at 28 ± 3 DIM for purulent VD (PVD) and at 35 ± 3 DIM for cytological endometritis. Pregnancy was diagnosed at 40 ± 3 and 60 ± 7 d after first and second artificial inseminations. Cure of metritis did not differ between treatments on d 11 (AMP = 64.6 ± 3.1, CCFA = 63.5 ± 3.1%). Cows treated with AMP had greater RT from experiment d 1 to 6 compared with cows treated with CCFA (AMP = 39.1 ± 0.02, CCFA = 39.0 ± 0.02°C). Cows in the AMP treatment had greater prevalence of PVD at 28 ± 3 DIM (AMP = 82.6 ± 2.3, CCFA = 74.4 ± 2.7%) and tended to have greater prevalence of cytological endometritis at 35 ± 3 DIM (AMP = 77.8 ± 6.2 vs. CCFA = 61.7 ± 7.5%) than CCFA-treated cows. Treatment did not affect the hazard of pregnancy among multiparous cows; however, among primiparous cows, CCFA treatment reduced the hazard of pregnancy and increased the median days to pregnancy (AMP = 145 vs. CCFA = 169 d). Finally, average daily milk yield up to 14 wk postpartum was not affected by treatment (AMP = 38.0 ± 0.4, CCFA = 37.5 ± 0.4 kg). We conclude from the current experiment that CCFA was more effective in reducing RT and improving uterine health of metritic cows; however, the improved hazard of pregnancy of primiparous cows treated with AMP is important and warrants further investigation.