More bovine diseases are associated with postpartum period than with others in dairy cows. Postpartum diseases include reproductive and metabolic disorders, such as retained placenta (RP), metritis, milk fever, Ketosis, displaced abomasums (DA), laminitis, traumatic reticulitis (TR), and mastitis et al. Our objectives of this study were to investigate the types and prevalence of postpartum diseases and to analyze the interrelationships between these diseases in dairy cows in Taiwan. Clinical data were recorded in a questionnaire by veterinarians of Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, National Chung Hsing University from December 2004 to June 2006. There were totally 82 affected cows collected from 18 dairy herds which included 40 simple cases and 42 complex cases. The results showed that there were totally 15 different types of postpartum diseases diagnosed by veterinarians, and the most diseases were diagnosed as TR 21.7% (30/138), Ketosis 18.1% (25/138), DA 15.9% (22/138), RP 12.3% (17/138), and clinical mastitis 8.7% (12/138), respectively. There was closed relationship between TR cases and DA cases (P<0.01), also indicated that the cases of ketosis and TR were associated with DA (P<0.01), and ketosis cases were associated with RP cases (P<0.05). In our study, there were finally 63 (76.8%) affected cows which became recovery or progress after our treatment, and 19 (23.2%) cows were at last dead or sent to slaughter house. The diagnosis, treatment and prevention of TR are becoming more important in Taiwan.
More bovine diseases are associated with postpartum period than with others in dairy cows. Postpartum diseases include reproductive and metabolic disorders, such as retained placenta (RP), metritis, milk fever, Ketosis, displaced abomasums (DA), laminitis, traumatic reticulitis (TR), and mastitis et al. Our objectives of this study were to investigate the types and prevalence of postpartum diseases and to analyze the interrelationships between these diseases in dairy cows in Taiwan. Clinical data were recorded in a questionnaire by veterinarians of Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, National Chung Hsing University from December 2004 to June 2006. There were totally 82 affected cows collected from 18 dairy herds which included 40 simple cases and 42 complex cases. The results showed that there were totally 15 different types of postpartum diseases diagnosed by veterinarians, and the most diseases were diagnosed as TR 21.7% (30/138), Ketosis 18.1% (25/138), DA 15.9% (22/138), RP 12.3% (17/138), and clinical mastitis 8.7% (12/138), respectively. There was closed relationship between TR cases and DA cases (P<0.01), also indicated that the cases of ketosis and TR were associated with DA (P<0.01), and ketosis cases were associated with RP cases (P<0.05). In our study, there were finally 63 (76.8%) affected cows which became recovery or progress after our treatment, and 19 (23.2%) cows were at last dead or sent to slaughter house. The diagnosis, treatment and prevention of TR are becoming more important in Taiwan.