Article (Scientific journals)
Treatment protocols and management of retained fetal membranes in cattle by rural practitioners in Belgium
Eppe, Justine; Lowie, Thomas; Opsomer, Geert et al.
2021In Preventive Veterinary Medicine
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Keywords :
Retained fetal membranes; Antibiotic treatment; Cattle; Post-partum
Abstract :
[en] Retained fetal membranes (RFM) is a frequent postpartum disorder in cattle causing considerable economic losses, and a common indication for antibiotic (AB) administration. There is controversy with regard to the treatment of RFM, and scientific recommendations are often in conflict with current legislation on AB use and practical routines in the field. The aim of this study was to assess the therapeutic approaches of RFM by Belgian rural veterinarians. A digital survey was sent to 468 Belgian veterinarians; 149 complete questionnaires (Wallonia: 78; Flanders: 71) were obtained. Survey questions captured socio-demographic characteristics, case definition, therapeutic approaches and treatment options for RFM. Questions on treatment were duplicated for dairy and beef cattle. When confronted with dairy cows suffering from RFM without fever, 35.6 % of vets do not treat with AB, while the majority administers AB, either intrauterine (47.6 %), systemically (10.7 %) or both (6.1 %). Dairy cows with RFM and fever receive a systemic (33.5 %), intrauterine (2.7 %) or combined (61.8 %) AB treatment. For a beef cow with RFM without fever, 21.5 % of vets prefer no AB treatment, while others prefer an intrauterine (24.2 %), systemic (24.8 %), combined (29.5 %) AB treatment. Beef cows with RFM and fever receive AB from the large majority of vets, by systemic (34.9 %) or combined (56.3 %) administration. In case of a parenteral treatment, benzylpenicillin, amoxicillin and ampicillin are by far the most frequently used molecules; only a minority of vets use cephalosporins. Manual placental removal is attempted by 93.9 % of the respondents. These results demonstrate that there is room for improvement when considering the treatment protocols of RFM. Many veterinarians use AB in RFM cows not presenting symptoms of general illness, or administer intrauterine AB in cows with or without clinical signs of illness. Concerning the molecules of choice, practical routines are largely in line with national AB recommendations. Beef cows suffering from RFM are treated more rigorously than dairy cows, regardless of their rectal temperature.
Research center :
FARAH - Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals and Health - ULiège
Disciplines :
Veterinary medicine & animal health
Author, co-author :
Eppe, Justine  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département clinique des animaux de production (DCP) > Département clinique des animaux de production (DCP)
Lowie, Thomas
Opsomer, Geert
Hanley-Cook, Giles
Meesters, Maya
Bossaert, Philippe ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département clinique des animaux de production (DCP) > Thériogenologie des animaux de production
Language :
English
Title :
Treatment protocols and management of retained fetal membranes in cattle by rural practitioners in Belgium
Publication date :
2021
Journal title :
Preventive Veterinary Medicine
ISSN :
0167-5877
eISSN :
1873-1716
Publisher :
Elsevier, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Available on ORBi :
since 29 January 2021

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