
Metritis
Metritis (inflammation of the uterus) is caused by bacterial infection.
Metritis, an inflammation of the uterus, is caused by bacterial infection, and usually is seen following calving. It occurs most commonly after calvings complicated by dystocia, retained fetal membranes, twins or stillbirths. Metritris can range from a mild disease with a high rate of spontaneous cures to a severe, acute disease that can be life threatening. As the interval from calving increases, the manifestations of the disease become less severe and the disease manifestation changes from clinical metritis to clinical endometritis (inflammation of the lining of the uterus) to a subclinical endometritis. Clinical metritis is characterized by fever, a foul-fetid vulvar discharge, a uterus with excess fluid and lacking tone, and a cow that appears depressed and off-feed. Clinical metritis is most commonly seen in the first 10 days post-calving. Cows that have clinical metritis exhibit poor reproductive performance with irregular estrous cycles, lower conception rates and greater intervals from calving to pregnancy.