| Livestock Disease Summaries | नेपाली भाषा |
Retained Placenta
The placenta that surrounds the fetus during pregnancy is an interface that brings the blood of the mother and fetus close together so that the mother can deliver nutrients to the fetus and the fetus can eliminate waste products through the mother for disposal. After birth, the fetal side of the placenta and associated fetal membranes must be expelled. In normal cases, the placenta is delivered within a few hours after birth.
Most veterinarians consider a placenta to be abnormally retained if it is not delivered within one day of birthing. Retained placentas are most commonly seen in cattle but can occur in any mammal. A retained placenta can result in multiple problems such as uterine infection and delayed return to normal cycling. The cow in the picture to the right has a retained placenta and also a prolapsed uterus.
Causes
There are several conditions that are commonly associated with retained placenta:
- Difficult birth or prolonged labor
- Twinning in cattle
- Abortion or premature birth
- Vitamin or trace mineral deficiency, most commonly of vitamin E or selenium
- Inducing labor with drugs
Treatment
Recommendations for treatment of retained placenta have changed over the years. Treatments that used to be used that have been found to either not be useful or actually harmful include the following - DO NOT use these treatments:
- Trying to manually remove the placenta, especially by entering the uterus with your hands; it is very difficult to remove all of the retained placenta and very easy to damage the lining of the uterus or to infect it.
- Treatments with drugs such as oxytocin or prostaglandins have not been shown to be useful.
- Introduction of antibiotics liquid or boluses directly into the uterus; if the animal has a fever, systemic antibiotics are a better choice.
Treatments currently recommended for retained placnta include:
- Gentle traction on the placenta hanging outside the animal is acceptable, but do not use excessive force! Some people tie a weight such as a rock from the placenta to provide gentle and steady traction.
- Give systemic, injectable antibiotics if the animal has a fever, but antibiotic treatment is not indicated in the absence of fever.
- Be patient and give the animal multiple days to pass the placenta.
Prevention
It is not really possible to prevent many of the common causes of retained placenta such as difficult birth or twinning in cattle. The single most useful preventative for retained placenta is to be certain that the animals are not deficient in vitamin E or selenium. Importantly, selenium and vitamin E are not treatments for retained placenta, they are preventatives. They are also necessary for many other normal body functions. If the diet of the animals is deficient in vitamin E and selenium, they should be provided as a dietary supplement. There are several types of supplements that can be used to provide vitamin E and selenium, including pellets and mineral blocks.
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