Being able to detect (and understand) the meaning of vaginal discharge characteristics in dairy cows is an effective strategy for economic and animal health purposes on dairy farms.

As a matter of fact, vaginal discharge can affect both directly and indirectly the cow’s productive and reproductive performance. However, it is important to remember that vaginal discharge not necessarily mean a complex clinical picture, thus, in certain situations, vaginal discharge may not be linked to inflammatory process or other diseases.

Color, odor, consistency, continuity in elimination and specific processes from which vaginal discharge originates are the discriminating elements that help understand the situation. In particular, vaginal discharge related to pathological or physiological processes can be detected.

The following diseases generally leads to vaginal discharge: puerperal and clinical metritis, clinical purulent, muco-purulent and subclinical endometritis, as well as inflammatory processes affecting the cervix and vaginal vestibule. In certain cases, vaginal discharge may originate from inflammation of non-reproductive organs (bladder, kidneys, etc.). Diseases such as pyometra and mucometra are also responsible for vaginal discharge. Even in case of cystic degeneration we may identify vaginal discharge, as well as in case of late pregnancy loss.

When associated with an inflammatory process, it is important not to underestimate the meaning behind vaginal discharge, since the inflammation implies an increased risk of uterine involution delay, resulting in delays and impairments of reproductive performance in dairy cows.

Although vaginal discharge may be a consequence of health issues, actually it represents a normal event from a physiological point of view. As a matter of fact, physiological vaginal discharge can be detected during the estrous cycle, specifically before (pro-estrus), during (follicular phase) and after ovulation (meta-estrus).

Therefore, vaginal discharge may not necessarily indicate an ongoing inflammatory process, just as an inflammatory process may not necessarily manifest through vaginal discharge. Furthermore, under certain conditions, dairy cows manage bacterial colonization by means of vaginal discharge.

Concerning the post-partum period, vaginal discharge frequently occurs in dairy cows. Calving never takes place in a sterile environment, thus, the uterus is likely to be colonized by bacteria in the first period after calving. However, this does not lead to infections systematically.

Despite the absence of metritis, even cows in the first 10 days after calving can present uterine inflammation along with vaginal discharge. In this case, vaginal discharge reflects the normal evolution of uterine involution. It can be dense, odorless, initially reddish, progressively pink and, finally, transparent.

After calving and the delivery of the placenta, uterine involution is the post-partum phase in which the uterus returns to its normal size. Any delay can lead to disturbances at both productive and reproductive level, with an increase in culling rates. Therefore, it becomes important to check the progress of this process for a prompt intervention.

When occurring regularly, uterine involution is completed in about 30 days after calving. Sometimes, even in case of complete involution, the cow may show vaginal discharge; due to consistency, color, and odor, it is not attributable to any inflammatory process, infection or disease, accompanied by a suboptimal condition of the tone of the uterus. In these situations, it is possible to support the endometrium with OZOLEA-METR.

In late post-partum, once inserted into the uterus, OZOLEA-METR forms a thin film barrier in contact with the endometrium and creates a non-ideal environment for bacterial proliferation: the aggressiveness of a possible bacterial attack is slowed down, while the tissue has time to regenerate and restore the natural competence of both defense and tone recovery.

OZOLEA-METR is a non-pharmacological veterinary device for intra-uterine use that helps the farmer manage minor uterine problems. OZOLEA-METR is composed of a single ingredient: a pure food vegetable oil, bio-engineered with the exclusive OZOLEA technology. The bioengineering process modifies part of the fatty acid chains of the oil, thus allowing the product, once in contact with the inner wall of the uterus, to improve the management of late post-partum and the performance of the uterine tissue after insemination, thus increasing conception rates.

 

References 

Giovanni Gnemmi, Benedetta Gnemmi, Cristina Maraboli, 2021. Significato clinico delle perdite vaginali nel bovino da latte. SUMMA animali da reddito n. 6/luglio-agosto 2021. https://bit.ly/3uRMx3x

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