Getting a handle on metritis Getting a handle on metritis by
Carlos Risco This disagreeable problem takes its toll on fresh
cows. Identifying at-risk cows is your first challenge. The goal
of your fresh cow program should be to get early peak milks
while quickly returning cows to a healthy condition and early
cycling. But, fresh cows are uniquely challenged by suppressed
immune function and negative energy balance, making them
susceptible to metabolic and reproductive diseases. One of the
most common reproductive challenges facing cows in early
lactation is metritis. Most often diagnosed within the first 10
days in milk, metritis is defined as the presence of foul-
smelling, watery vaginal discharge, systemic signs of ill-
health, with or without fever (rectal temperature of 103° or
greater). Cows that experience an abnormal calving are more
likely to develop metritis. As you see in the figure,
stillbirths, dystocia, and twins raise the risk of retained
placenta, ketosis, displaced abomasums, and poor immune fu