Induction of parturition in cattle with long and short acting corticoids and estradiol benzoate.

Abstract

Efficacy of three treatment regimens for parturition induction was investigated in three experiments with the objectives to maximize synchrony of parturition and to minimize the incidence of retained placentas. In Experiment 1, 20 mg of dexamethasone (DEX) was given alone or in combination with 6 mg estradiol benzoate (EB). The additional treatment with EB failed to reduce the incidence of retained placentas. In Experiment II, parturition was induced by injection of 5 mg flumethasone (FLU) or sequential treatment with triamcinolone acetonide (TA) followed 5 days later by an injection of 5 mg flumethasone. The incidence of placentas retained longer than 24 hr tended to be decreased (59% vs 37%, P = .09) by pretreatment with TA. In Experiment III, treatment with DEX alone was compared with DEX following pretreatment with TA + EB to induce parturition in dairy cows. Triamcinolone acetonide (8 mg) injected 6 days prior to the DEX injection in combination with EB (10 mg) given 6, 4 and 2 days before and 20 mg at the time of DEX treatment tended to reduce frequency of retained placentas in dairy cows (40% vs 78% for cows receiving only DEX and 20% for controls). Pretreatment with either TA or TA + EB increased the number of cows calving by 72 hr after FLU and DEX (P<05) and shortened the average interval from FLU or DEX to calving (P<05). These studies indicate that the effectiveness of induction of parturition by either DEX or FLU can be improved by pretreatment with TA or TA + EB and that these pretreatments reduce the incidence of retained placentas.