Monitoring the puerperal period in cows - review

Abstract

Puerperium is the period during which the body is recovering and preparing itself for a new pregnancy. The time needed for recovery depends on a number of factors, such as: physical condition, maternal health, the way parturition took place, feeding conditions, husbandry, environmental conditions (parturition hygiene, stress factors), the quality of care at parturition and supervision of the puerperium (2,4). Uterine involution after parturition is a process characterized by a series of anatomical, cytological and bacteriological changes in the uterus, whereby the genital tract gradually returns to the shape, position and size it had before gestation (1). The process of uterine involution in cows can be followed by transrectal examination, clinically it is possible to appreciate the changes in shape, volume, size, consistency and character of the lochia. Various cellular, hormonal, metabolic and biochemical changes have been observed by laboratory analysis (8,11,15). Tiss tissue regeneration is initially achieved in areas that have undergone fewer changes during gestation (3). Thus, at 8 days post-partum the intercaruncular areas are re-epithelialized (5,9). The epithelialization of the caruncle (in the cow) starts at the base, at the expense of the diaplacental epithelium and the glands near the caruncles (7). The base of the caruncle is epithelialized at 2 weeks post-partum and the epithelium of the caruncular surface is also replenished at 20 days (10).