Postpartum Uterine Infection

After calving, cows need to resume ovarian cyclicity and complete uterine involution in a timely fashion to improve their chances of becoming pregnant in a reasonable time frame. This chapter discusses risk factors, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and management of primary uterine diseases: metritis, endometritis, and pyometra in postpartum cows. m. Pyometra is the accumulation of purulent material in the uterine lumen, which persists due to the presence of a corpus luteum. The economic impacts of uterine infections during the postpartum period are related to treatment costs, milk production losses, and impaired fertility. Following calving, all cows experience uterine inflammation associated with the cleanup phase of uterine involution. Cows affected with endometritis have inflammation that is restricted to the mucosal and submucosal layers of the uterus. Evaluation of uterine fluid volume and echotexture is beneficial for identifying cows with clinical endometritis.