The Normal Periparturient Cow

Abstract

Life would be a lot easier for all of us if cows could produce milk without getting pregnant. Parturition is truly a mixed blessing of opportunity and frustration for producers and their veterinarians. In perfect compliance with Murphy's law, the periparturient period is a time when everything can, and often does, go wrong. This presentation will focus on managing reproduction in the abnormal postpartum cow from both a preventive and therapeutic perspective. We begin with a review of normal periparturient physiology.