Post puerperal endometritis treatment in dairy cows

This study was aimed to evaluate and compare the efficacy of Cefapirin (Metricure®; MSD; Sao Paulo-SP; Brazil) with other conventional antimicrobial applied in local route, for the treatment of post puerperal infections. The experiment was accomplished for a sample of 90 cows between the 3rd and the 5th week postpartum, divided into three groups according to birth order. This experiment was approved by the ethics committee of the University of Jose do Rosario Vellano with the protocol number 0024/2013. The first group (n = 30) received a single uterine infusion with 500 mg Cefapirin, the second (n = 30) was treated with infusion of 2 g of oxytetracycline hydrochloride diluted in 50 mL of saline (single dose) and third (n = 30) received only uterine infusion with 20 mL of saline (single dose). The total rate of clinical cure was 73.3% for Group 1, 46.7% for group 2 and 10% for Group 3 (P < 0.05). In relation to uterine cytology results of groups 1 and 2 were compared, and it is considered negative cytology animals with less than 10% of polymorphonucleate cells. Then, the first group was 81.8% and the second group with 57.1% negative cytology (P < 0.05). Regarding the reproductive performance after treatments the service period (SP) of the group 1 was 142.3 days and Group 2 164.5 days (P < 0.05). In addition, the Group 1 also obtained the highest number of pregnant animals to 1st insemination and 60, 90, 120 and 180 days postpartum. Therefore, it was concluded that the uterine infusion with Cephapirin 500 mg in single dose for the treatment of endometritis showed higher efficiency than conventional treatment with Oxytetracycline.