A case study on Mummified Foetus in a heifer

Abstract

A farm economy depends upon a calf per year per cow. Mummified foetus is a reproductive disorder which is responsible for farm economic loss by extending the inter calving period as well as foetal loss. The incidence of mummified foetus in cattle is low and sporadic but the incidence may be higher in some herds (Roberts, 1971). In cattle fetal mummification occurs with an incidence of 0.13-1.8% (Barth, 1986). In Bangladesh there is no accurate account about the incidence of mummified foetus in cow but sporadically mummified foetus occurred throughout the country. Talbot & Hafs (1974) treated the mummified foetus in cow with Prostaglandin F2α. However, such foetus might be treated with intramuscular administration of Stilbestrol, Estradiol, Respositol diethylstilbestrol or manual removal of the persistent corpus luteum (Roberts, 1971). Most mummified foetuses will remain in the uterus until treatment is given to expel them or until their removed by caesarean section (Wenkoff & Manns, 1977). The choice of treatment of this problem is injection of prostaglandin F2α and in failure case caesarean section. There is some evidence of failure to expel mummified foetus by the treatment with prostaglandin F2α. To overcome this type of complication the author has had personal interest to deliver the mummified foetus with cesarean section rather than Prostaglandin F2α injection. Arthur et al. (1996) showed that treatment of mummified foetus with Prostaglandin F2α create some complexicity in cattle like maceration of mummified foetus and packed in the birth canal instead of expelled out. It occurs as a consequence of uterine infection, pyometra, chronic endometritis and finally the animal should therefore be sent for slaughter.