Treatment protocols and management of retained fetal membranes in cattle by rural practitioners in Belgium

Retained fetal membranes (RFM) is a frequent postpartum disorder in cattle causing considerable economic losses, and common indication for antibiotic (AB) administration. There controversy with regard to the treatment of RFM, scientific recommendations are often conflict current legislation on AB use practical routines field. The aim this study was assess therapeutic approaches RFM by Belgian rural veterinarians. A digital survey sent 468 veterinarians; 149 complete questionnaires (Wallonia: 78; Flanders: 71) were obtained. Survey questions captured socio-demographic characteristics, case definition, options RFM. Questions duplicated dairy beef cattle. When confronted cows suffering from without fever, 35.6 % vets do not treat AB, while majority administers either intrauterine (47.6 %), systemically (10.7 %) or both (6.1 %). Dairy fever receive systemic (33.5 (2.7 combined (61.8 treatment. For cow 21.5 prefer no treatment, others an (24.2 (24.8 (29.5 Beef large vets, (34.9 (56.3 In parenteral benzylpenicillin, amoxicillin ampicillin far most frequently used molecules; only minority cephalosporins. Manual placental removal attempted 93.9 respondents. These results demonstrate that there room improvement when considering protocols Many veterinarians presenting symptoms general illness, administer clinical signs illness. Concerning molecules choice, largely line national recommendations. treated more rigorously than cows, regardless their rectal temperature.