Intrauterine Infusion of Lugol’s Iodine Improves the Reproductive Traits of Postpartum Infected Dairy Cows

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of infusion of 1% Lugol ʼ s iodine into infected uteri of postpartum (PP) dairy cows on uterine involution (UI), appearance of the first dominant follicle (DF), recrudescence of the first oestrus (FO), days open (DO), rate of service per conception and calving interval (CI). Forty dairy cows that were diagnosed with severe uterine bacterial infection during early PP were divided randomly into two equal groups: A (n = 20 cows) and B (n = 20 cows). Group A was intra-uterine infused with 1% Lugol's iodine on day 5 PP. Group B was left untreated, to serve as a control. The result showed that infusion of 1% Lugol's iodine significantly (P<0.001) reduced, the time to complete UI by 16 days, appearance of the first DF by 2.7 days, resumption of FO by 91 days, DO by 160 day, rate of service by 3.4 and CI by 151 days, compared to the untreated control group. It is concluded that intra-uterine infusion of 1% Lugolʼs iodine improves the reproductive traits of cows with severe uterine bacterial infection.