Effects of Incidence and Degree of Endometrial Scarring on Fertility in Dairy Cattle

Abstract

As bovine practitioners we use our fine-tuned palpating expertise almost entirely, and rightfully so, to evaluate an infertile problem along with visual examination of the vagina and its discharges. Then treatment is done accordingly by what is felt and seen. Some practitioners will occasionally run bacterial cultures especially if the discharges indicate infection. These above procedures are necessary to properly evaluate routine infertile problems in a herd, but for the clinically "normal" repeat breeder, that is considered valuable by the client from a milk production and a genetic point of view, practitioners have to do more diagnostically. Bovine endometrial pathology should definitely be included diagnostically and prognostically, before days open become too extensive and culling too evident. Endometrial scarring may contribute to infertility, but certain other factors such as cellular infiltrations, hormonal variations, embryonic abnormalities, vascular damage in the caruncles and, maybe, collagen in the connective tissues as in the mare may play a more decisive role.