Retained Secundines in Cows. 



Retention of the after-birth in cows is one of the 

 most common abnormalities associated with preg- 

 nancy. This is especially true in localities where con- 

 tagious abortion prevails. 



From time to time there appear in our journals 

 reports of new, and sometimes long-forgotten forms 

 of treatment and methods of removing after-births. 

 When all has been thoroughly gone over and tried 

 out in every day practice it can not be denied that 

 the only safe, complete and satisfactory removal of 

 a retained after-birth is by manual extraction. The 

 longer we are in practice, the more surely we become 

 convinced of this. 



The greatest discrepancy in agreement among 

 veterinarians lies in the point relating to the time 

 which should elapse after the expulsion of the fetus 

 before extraction of a retained after-birth should be 

 attempted. The period advocated varies from one 

 to three days, with some advantages on each side and 

 disadvantages on all. 



From the standpoint of science, from the stand- 

 point of surgery and from the standpoint of milk 

 hygiene twenty-four hours is the limit of time to 

 elapse between the birth of the calf and the removal of 

 the after-birth. At this time the os is still wide open 

 so that every cotyledon can be reached and freed from 

 the encircling envelope. Also at the end of twenty- 

 four hours, practically no sign of tissue degeneration 

 is yet evident. 



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