Consecuencias reproductivas y sanitarias de los abortos bovinos en la cuenca lechera del Valle de Lerma, Salta, Argentina / Reproductive and health consequences of bovine abortions in the dairy basin of the Valle de Lerma, Salta, Argentina

Resumen Con el objetivo de investigar los efectos de los abortos bovinos en la cuenca lechera del Valle de Lerma se estudiaron los registros de datos de 128 vacas Holstein en ordeño obtenidos de software de 4 tambos. Los abortos se clasificaron en: vacas abortadas, vueltas a inseminar que continúan en lactancia (VAC, n= 36) y vacas que abortaron e iniciaron en una nueva lactancia (VAI, n=33), además se les sumaron los registros de vacas con partos normales (VPN, n= 59). Se registraron los litros de leche a los 305 días de lactancia (L/305), los días en lactancia (DEL), los intervalos entre partos (IPP), número de eventos de salud ocurridos pos aborto y el destino final de los animales (continúa en el tambo, descarte, muerte o sacrificio). Las variables continuas se sometieron a análisis de varianza en un modelo lineal mixto y las discretas a la prueba de Chi cuadrado y Odds Ratio (OR). No se hallaron diferencias entre los litros de leche producidos (L/305) por las vacas VPN (8640 l) y las VAC (8498 l) pero si (p<0,0001) entre éstas y el grupo VAI (5742), considerando las vacas de diferente número de lactancias y el tiempo gestacional del aborto. El grupo VAC tuvo DEL (p<0,0001) e IPP (p<0,0001) respectivamente más prolongados (639,7 e 441,2 d.) que las vacas del VAI (419,9 e 404,2 d.) y VPN (405,5 e 476,7 d.). Las vacas abortadas (VAC + VAI) tuvieron una mayor (p<0,0001) probabilidad de contraer respectivamente desórdenes sanitarios y reproductivos (OR= 6,5, IC 3,2 - 24,3) y descartes más muertes/sacrificios (OR= 6,72, IC 2,9 - 15,1) en comparación con VPN. Estos resultados muestran los graves efectos de los abortos sobre la performance productiva y la salud de las vacas lecheras.

Abstract In order to investigate the effects of bovine abortions in the dairy basin of Valle de Lerma records of 128 Holstein milking cows from the software of 4 dairy farms were studied. The abortions were classified into: aborted cows re-inseminated that continue in lactation (VAC, n = 36) and aborted cow that started a new lactation (VAI, n = 33) and were added the records of: cows with normal parturitions (NPV, n = 59). Milk litters accumulated at 305 lactation days (L / 305), days in lactation (DEL), the intervals between calvings (IPP), number of post-abortion health disorders and number of cows that continues, culled, death or slaughtered were recorded. Continuous variables were subjected to analysis of variance with a mixed linear model and the discrete ones to Chi square test and Odds Ratio (OR). No differences were found between the milk litters production (L / 305) of NPV (8640) and VAC (8498) cows but there were differences (p <0.0001) between those groups and the VAI group (5742) considering the cows of different number of lactations and gestational time to abortion. The VAC group had DEL (p <0.0001) and PPI (p <0.0001) respectively longer (639.7 and 441.2 d.) than those of VAI (419.9 and 404.2 d.) and NPV (405.5 e 476.7 d.) cows. Aborted cows (VAC + VAI) had a higher (p <0.0001) probability of contracting, respectively reproductive health disorders (OR= 6.5, CI 3.2 - 24.3) and culls plus deaths / slaughters (OR = 6.72, CI 2.9-15.1) than those of NPV. These results show the serious effects of abortions on milk production, reproductive performance and health of dairy cows.

Energetic status of crossbreed dairy cows during transition period in two different seasons / Perfil energético de vacas leiteiras mestiças no período de transição em duas estações do ano

We used 31 crossbreed dairy cows to compare the energetic profile in summer and winter. Blood samples were taken weekly prepartum, at calving and on days 2, 5, 10, 15, 21 and 30 postpartum. All metabolic indicators analyzed were influenced by the physiological status. The glucose concentrations were higher during winter while the triglyceride concentrations and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were higher in the summer. The season influenced the concentrations of cholesterol, AST and GGT, showing a different pattern between summer and winter. Non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and beta-hidroxibutirate (BHB) were not influenced by the season. Cows that calved during winter had a greater body condition score (BCS) and lost more BCS until calving. During summer, 32.26% of the animals and 29.03% during winter had NEFA concentrations above the optimum level and 22.58% of the animals in summer and 19.35% in the winter had subclinical ketosis at some point during the transition period, making then more susceptible to diseases.

Foram utilizadas 31 vacas leiteiras mestiças para comparar o perfil energético em duas estações, verão e inverno. Amostras de sangue foram colhidas semanalmente durante o pré-parto, no dia do parto e nos dias dois, cinco, 10, 15, 21 e 30 do pós-parto. Todos os metabólitos analisados foram influenciados pelo estádio fisiológico. As concentrações de glicose foram maiores no inverno, enquanto as concentrações de triglicérides e lactato desidrogenase (LDH) foram maiores no verão. As concentrações de colesterol, AST e GGT mostraram um padrão de comportamento diferente entre o verão e o inverno. Ácidos graxos não esterificados (NEFA) e beta-hidroxibutirato (BHB) não foram influenciados pela estação do ano. As vacas que pariram durante o inverno tinham um escore de condição corporal (ECC) maior e perderam mais ECC até o parto. No verão, 32,26% e, no inverno, 29,03% dos animais apresentaram concentrações de NEFA acima do recomendado no pré-parto; 22,58% dos animais no verão e 19,35% no inverno tiveram cetose subclínica em algum momento do período de transição, tornando-os mais suscetíveis a outras doenças.

Registros de desempenho e de status sanitário de um rebanho bovino leiteiro no sul do Brasil / Records of performance and sanitary status from a dairy cattle herd in southern Brazil

Over the last decades, the emphasis on the health of dairy cows has changed from an individual to a herd level. In this scenario, the role played by the recording system and its interpretation by veterinarians has gained primordial importance. The records of productive and reproductive performance and of sanitary status from a southern Brazilian dairy cattle herd have been presented and discussed. The period of study was 2000-2009. Mean values per lactation period were 349D 8436M 290F 275P 201SCS (D: days in lactation, M: kg of milk yield, F: kg of fat, P: kg of protein and SCS: somatic cell score in 1000 cells/ml of milk). Major indexes of reproductive efficiency included age at first calving (31 months), services per conception (2.1), intercalving interval (428 days), calving to conception interval (146 days), mean annual rates of parturitions (76.2%), fetal losses (9.8-19.0%), and stillbirths (3.6%), apart of voluntary waiting period (94 days). Main information on sanitary status of the herd was associated with the mean prevalence of common disorders of dairy cattle such as anaplasmosis (29.8%), mastitis (27.8%), digital diseases (26.3%), ovarian cysts (21.3%), placental retention (19.7%), postpartum uterine infections (10.6%), and calf diarrhea (23.7%) and pneumonia (16.8%), among others. In addition, culling reasons (low reproductive performance [56.3%] and udder/mastitis problems [33.6%]), causes of cattle deaths (anaplasmosis [16.4%] and leukosis [11.4]), and the impact of cattle diseases such as tuberculosis, leukosis, and neosporosis on the herd have also been presented and succinctly discussed. Numbers between brackets represent rates accumulated in the 10-year period.

Nas últimas décadas, os cuidados sanitários de vacas leiteiras passaram por um processo de adaptação, no qual o enfoque individual foi substituído pelo coletivo, cujo sistema de manutenção e interpretação de registros por veterinários assumiu papel fundamental. Os registros de eficiência produtiva e reprodutiva, bem como os de ordem sanitária observados em um rebanho bovino leiteiro no Sul do Brasil foram apresentados e discutidos. O período estudado foi 2000-2009. Os dados de produção leiteira média incluíram, por período de lactação de 349 dias, 8436 kg de leite, 290 kg de gordura e 275 kg de proteína, com média de contagem de células somáticas de 201000 células/ml de leite. Idade ao primeiro parto (31 meses), serviços por concepção (2,1), intervalo entre partos (428 dias), intervalo parto-concepção (146 dias), taxas médias anuais de parição (76,2%), perdas fetais (9,8-19%) e natimortos (3,6%), além de período de espera voluntária (94 dias) foram alguns dos índices de desempenho reprodutivo registrados. Informações sanitárias do rebanho incluíram prevalência média de doenças comuns em bovinos leiteiros tais como anaplasmose (29,8%), mastites (27,8%), doenças digitais (26,3%), cistos ovarianos (21,3%), retenção de placenta (19,7%), infecções uterinas (10,6%), diarreia (23,7%) e pneumonia (16,8%) em terneiras, entre outras. Além disso, razões de descartes (baixo desempenho reprodutivo [56,3%], alterações de úbere [33,6%], etc.), causas de morte (anaplasmose [16,4%], leucose [11.4], etc.) e o impacto de doenças de bovinos como tuberculose, leucose e neosporose sobre o rebanho foram também apresentados e sucintamente discutidos...

Salud de hato definición y estrategias para el establecimiento de programas de medicina veterinaria preventiva: [revisión] / Herd health definition and strategies for the establishment of veterinary preventive medicine programs: [review]

El objetivo principal de un programa de Salud de hato en animales de producción es el mantenimiento de la salud animal y la producción en el nivel más eficiente que ofrezca rentabilidad económica competitiva al productor. Algunos objetivos secundarios igualmente importante,incluyen proporcionar bienestar animal, garantizar la calidad de los productos producidos,minimizar el impacto medio ambiental generado por los residuos de origen animal, la prevención de las enfermedades zoonóticas y disminución de la presentación de contaminantes y residuos en productos de origen animal. En todos los programas de medicina de la producción, se deben establecer objetivos claros. Así mismo, se deben comparar los niveles reales de eficiencia con los objetivos previamente planteados; la diferencia corresponde a las deficiencias en la productividad. A través de utilizar un sistema de problema orientado se busca identificar las problemáticas de salud de forma sistemática, con el objetivo de establecer e implementar los correctivos necesarios, los cuales deben ser adecuadamente monitoreados. Para tal fin, la epidemiología veterinaria se ha convertido en una herramienta cuantitativa muy importante para la evaluación y el seguimiento de los problemas de salud en los programas de salud de hato. Los objetivos del presente documento son discutir algunos de los principios básicos de la salud del hato y presentar un enfoque práctico utilizar herramientas epidemiológicas en la investigación de los problemas de salud de hato.

The primary objective of a herd health program for food animals is the maintenance of animal health and production at the most efficient level that provides competitive economic returns to the farmer. Some equally important secondary objectives include providing animal welfare, ensuring the product’s quality, minimization of pollution of the environment by animal wastes, the prevention of zoonoses, and the avoidance of contaminants and residues in animal products. Targets of performance need to be considered when establishing a production medicine management program. In a herd health program, the actual levels of efficiency are compared to the objectives previously set; the difference corresponds to sub optimal production problems. Using an oriented problem-solving approach to adequately identify health issues that may negatively impact the production system, it is possible to implement the necessary corrective actions to health problems. The reasons for failure are then identified, recommendations for improvement are made and performance is monitored to assess the effectiveness of the action taken. Veterinary epidemiology has become a very important quantitative tool to assess and follow herd health programs. The objectives of the present paper are to discuss some of the basic principles of herd health, and to present a practical approach to use epidemiological tools for herd health problem investigations.

Diagnosis and therapeutic considerations of uterine infections in dairy cattle: [review] / Consideraciones diagnósticas y terapéuticas para infecciones uterinas en vacas lecheras: [revisión]

From an animal health-well being, welfare, and performance perspective, the postpartum period is comprised of an early window where acute health and cow survival is an issue with the development of septic metritis. Subsequently, sustained presence of endometritis is likely to be contributing to sub-fertility in lactating dairy cows with an overall herd pregnancy rate of approximately 16%. The challenge is to integrate on commercial dairies preventive medicine programs with reproductive management to improve herd fertility. Cows affected by periparturient disorders such as hypocalcemia, dystocia, and retained fetal membranes are more likely to contract uterine infections than cows that calve normally are. Thus, appropriate management of the transition period is critical in the prevention of uterine infections at the herd level. In addition, a postpartum program to monitor health to provide treatment to cows in the early stages of disease should be implemented.

Desde el punto de vista del bienestar animal y de la perspectiva de productividad, el periodo postparto puede estar comprometido por una pequeña ventana durante el postparto temprano, en la cual la salud y supervivencia de las vacas es un problemática, debido a la presentación de metritis séptica. Esta se perpetuán subsecuentemente con la presentación de endometritis, la cual muy posiblemente contribuye con los patrones de sub-fertilidad en vacas lactantes, generando en general bajas tasas de preñez del 16 %. El reto es entonces integrar en las explotaciones comerciales un programa de medicina veterinaria preventiva con el manejo reproductivo, con el fin de mejorar la fertilidad del hato. Se ha descrito que las vacas que sufren problemas durante el periparto tales como hipocalcemia y retención de las membranas fetales son más susceptibles de contraer infecciones uterinas, comparadas con aquellas vacas que tienen un parto normal. Por ello un manejo apropiado del periodo de transición es crítico en la prevención de infecciones uterinas a nivel del hato. Así mismo, es necesario implementar un programa adecuado de monitoreo postparto con el fin de proveer tratamiento oportuno a las vacas durante los estados iniciales de enfermedad.