Uterine infections in the postpartum cow: I. Effect of dietary crude protein restriction

• Published in: Theriogenology Vol. 15; no. 6; pp. 561 - 572
• Main Authors: Ruder, C.A, Sasser, R.G, Williams, R.J, Ely, J.K, Bull, R.C, Butler, J.E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 1981
• Subjects: animal diseases; animal health; bacterial infections; noninfectious diseases
• ISSN: 0093-691X; 1879-3231
• DOI: 10.1016/0093-691X(81)90059-5

The relationship between adequate (0.96 kg per head daily) and deficient (0.32 kg per head daily) intake of crude protein between 150 days prepartum and 110 days postpartum and the incidence of postpartum infections in the bovine uterus was studied. The incidence of infection at 25 days postpartum was 52.2% and 48.1% (P > .10) for cows in the protein adequate and protein deficient groups, respectively. However, at 40 days postpartum, 21.7% of cows in the protein adequate group had infections vs 51.9% (P < .05) of cows in the protein deficient group. In addition, the incidence of infection within the protein adequate group between sampling times was different (P < .10); whereas, the incidence within the protein deficient group between sampling times was not different (P > .10). Eighty-three bacterial isolates representing 27 species were recovered from the total of 100 samples. Corynebacterium pyogenes and Fusobacterium necrophorum were the most frequently isolated aerobe and anaerobe, respectively. Although there was no difference between diets (P > .10), these two organisms occurred most frequently in cows on the protein deficient diet and were associated with clinically severe uterine infections. These data suggest that the amount of crude protein in the diet affects both the incidence and duration of postpartum infections in the bovine uterus.