Retention of Fetal Membranes and its Clinical Perspective in Bovines

Retention of the fetal membranes (RFM) or Retention of Placenta (ROP) in the cow is normally defined as the condition in which the fetal membranes are not expelled within a period of 12 hours after expulsion of the fetus. Primary retention of fetal membranes results from a lack of detachment from the maternal caruncles whereas secondary retention is related to a mechanical difficulty in expelling already detached fetal membranes. There are a number of risk factors associated with RFM, including induced parturition, shortened gestation, abortion, twinning, dystocia, fetotomy, cesarean section, nutritional deficiencies such as vitamin E, selenium and carotene, infectious agents such as bovine viral diarrhea virus and immunosuppression. The most commonly used hormonal products in treating RFM are prostaglandins and oxytocin and these hormones play a role in uterine contraction and could be effective in treating retention of the fetal membranes.