A Holistic Approach to the Effects of Intrauterine Antimicrobial Therapy on Pregnancy Rate after Artificial Insemination in Dairy Cows

Abstract

Post-partum (pp) infertility following the artificial insemination (AI) can be a very common (around 50%) phenomenon in high-yielding dairy cows kept under poor management and feeding practices in particular. Even in clinically healthy females, intrauterine antimicrobial therapy (Lugol, Gentamicin, Rifaximin, etc.) may increase the fertility rate especially in those cows with latent (sub-clinical) intrauterine infection. Undoubtedly, modern animal husbandry requires to reduce possible calving losses with microbial origin that can prevent conception to occur and/or even terminate the ongoing pregnancy. In livestock farming/breeding, numerous obstacles (related to either the animal, humans or else) would prevent to achieve ultimate goals (regular reproductive cycle, insemination, pregnancy, calving, milking and dry period) that allow acceptable or minimum level of income (profit). For a sustainable herd health in profitable sectoral activity, individual females have to be in good health that would be achieved by strict rules to provide optimum animal productivity at animal welfare level. In this sense, a heavy physiological load of candidate mothers and their sustainable reproduction and milking requires at first good management and feeding practices. Beyond that, regarding the routine health services including treatment of dairy cows as appropriate, a ‘holistic approach’ is needed for an efficient therapy and speedy pp recovery of milking females. Otherwise, during the critical period, non-pregnant cows in open period may not conceive or peculiar delays in conception may become inevitable. Undoubtedly, in modern practice, holistic approach in farming/breeding animals requires effective management and feeding along with provision of appropriate health services towards meeting animal welfare level (sustainable high milk yield and regular calving annually). These ultimate aims would be easily facilitated by optimum management and good quality feeding, choosing the right individuals (age and breed) and working with dedicated care-takers and experienced Veterinarians. For the latter, provision of health services should incorporate comprehensive factors covering reproductive hormones, major vitamins-minerals and efficient antimicrobials (systemic and/or local) as needed. Finally, numerous profit-limiting factors (climate changes, heat-stress, water and food scarcity, market prices and residual problems) should also be dealt with a great care. Otherwise, undesirable outcomes (ovarian, uterine and mammary disorders) in dairy farming would be inevitable as commonly seen worldwide.