Treatment of vaginitis in cows

Vaginitis in cows is an infectious disease that causes swelling and irritation of the genitals. Most often, vaginitis is diagnosed in young individuals who have reached breeding age, as well as in weakened and sick animals. Rarely, calves get sick.

The danger of the disease lies in its rapid spread – in a few days it can pass to the entire herd. In addition, vaginitis causes sexual dysfunction, including in bulls. At the first signs of infection, it is necessary to call a veterinary service worker, who must determine the type of disease and, in accordance with it, draw up a treatment plan. If proper measures are not taken in time, vaginitis can lead to a number of complications: endometritis, sepsis, etc.

What is vaginitis

Vaginitis (or colpitis) is an inflammation of the vaginal mucosa in a cow. The causative agent of the infection is most often the parasitic bacterium Streptococcus.

There are several types of disease:

1. Serous vaginitis – is expressed mainly in swelling of the tissues and minor hemorrhages.
2. Catarrhal-purulent vaginitis. The first signs, in addition to swelling, are ulcers, hemorrhages, erosion of the vaginal membrane.
3. diphtheritic vaginitis is determined by a sharp increase in body temperature of the cow, spotting with a strong odor and the presence of fibrinous films on the vaginal membrane.
4. Phlegmonous vaginitis is also expressed in an increase in body temperature of the animal, but differs from the diphtheria subtype in the presence of purulent discharge with an admixture of necrotic tissue.

The incubation period for vaginitis in cows is 20 days.

Causes and risk factors

It is customary to distinguish the following ways of infection penetration into the body of a cow:

1. Through close contact with other animals. A cow can become infected with vaginitis from sick individuals, including during mating – bulls in this case act as carriers of the infection, however, their disease is asymptomatic.
2. Through the environment. Vaginitis can be caused by keeping the flock in unhygienic conditions, when infection occurs through musty or rotten bedding, slurry, or dirty animal care items.
3. Through superficial and internal damage to the genital organs. The bacterium enters the body of a cow through injuries of the vulvar mucosa received during childbirth, if contaminated objects were used during childbirth. Also, infection can occur during insemination of a cow, both artificial and natural, if it is carried out in violation of veterinary and sanitary standards.
4. Through a burn of the mucous membrane of the vagina. There are frequent cases of infection during self-treatment of a cow, especially if drugs such as Vagotil and Lugol were used. Exceeding the dosage damages the mucous membrane of the genital organs, therefore, at the first sign of a cow’s malaise, it is recommended to call a specialist. The veterinarian will calculate the required dose of the drug, which will reduce the likelihood of developing vaginitis in the animal through burns to a minimum.

The course of the disease is long, relapses often occur.

Symptoms of the disease

Vaginitis in cattle is determined by the following symptoms:

• the cow begins to behave restlessly for no apparent reason, easily irritated, often waving its tail;
• a sick individual stands with an unnaturally arched back and legs wide apart;
• various kinds of discharge come from the vagina (purulent, mucous, bloody, etc.);
• the labia of the animal swell and acquire a reddish tint;
• on the base of the tail, dried secretions accumulate on the inside, forming a dense crust;
• the cow has increased urination and defecation;
• in chronic vaginitis, dark red nodules accumulate in the vagina, which eventually lighten and become yellowish-white.

In bulls, colpitis is almost asymptomatic. Sometimes the disease becomes noticeable by small nodules the size of millet grains that form on the surface of the animal’s penis, rapid weight loss with the previous diet and impotence.

Diagnostics

It is quite difficult to make a correct diagnosis of the disease on your own, since most of the symptoms of vaginitis coincide with the clinical picture of other cattle diseases. In particular, to establish an accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to exclude the following diseases:

• brucellosis;
• vibriosis;
• trichomoniasis.

In addition, it is necessary to accurately establish the subtype of infection – the plan for further treatment depends on it. Some treatments that are appropriate for one type of vaginitis may make it worse for another subtype. In order to determine what caused the inflammation, the veterinarian must take a swab of the discharge from the vagina of a sick cow and examine it by palpation.

Treatment of vaginitis in cows

The first thing to do if vaginitis is suspected is to take the cow to a separate stall and, if possible, do not disturb the sick animal once again. The former place of detention is thoroughly disinfected and the bedding is completely changed.

The course of treatment lasts an average of about 2 weeks. In the acute course of the disease, the veterinarian prescribes antibiotics, however, in most cases, it is enough to wash the animal’s genitals daily.

For these purposes, use:

1. Potassium permanganate (in everyday life a different name is common – potassium permanganate). The vaginal cavity of the cow must be washed with a weak solution in relation to 2 crystals per 1 liter of water, and the solution must be warmed up before use. In bulls with colpitis, prepuce is treated.
2. 1% solution of table salt or tea (drinking) soda, also preheated.
3. Novocain ointment. Novocaine is used for severe inflammation of the vaginal mucosa. You can also use a suspension of bleached butter, “Ichthyol” (3%), or a combination of fat and tincture of opium in a ratio of 9:1.
4. “Furacilin”. Recommended dosage: 4 tablets per 1 liter of water.
5. “Vagothil”. For 1 liter of slightly heated water, no more than 15 ml of the drug is consumed.
6. 1% hydrogen peroxide solution.
7. 3% solution of alum – prescribed for bleeding.

The genitals of a sick animal are washed with a special syringe or a rubber bulb, the water must be boiled before that. The procedure is usually carried out 1 time per day, however, if the disease is severe, the cow’s vagina is treated 2 times, in the morning and in the evening.

After that, the washed area must be lubricated with ioddicerin. In addition to means for irrigating the vagina, the course of treatment includes the use of special ointments:

• “Ichthyol”;
• “Synthomycin”;
• “Tetracycline”.

The ointment is applied to a cotton swab and injected into the animal’s vagina using a special tool. A day later, they take it out.

Also, vaginitis in cattle is quite effectively treated with Phenothiazine. Method of application: inside, in relation to 40 g of the drug per 0,5 l of water.

The most effective and proven folk methods of treatment include irrigation of the genital organs with solutions based on onions, honey and garlic:

1. Honey solution is prepared in a water bath at a temperature of 40°C. For this, 1 tbsp. l. honey mixed with 1 tbsp. l. “Ichthyola”. When the mixture has cooled, a cotton swab is moistened in it and inserted into the cow’s vagina for 3 hours.
2. An onion solution is made from onion juice and diluted Ichthyol (up to 30%), taken in equal proportions. A tampon soaked in the solution is used to lubricate the vaginal mucosa once a day. Do not leave a tampon inside.
3. Garlic solution is a mixture of diluted garlic juice (10%) and Ichthyol, also diluted with water (up to 30%). The swab is dipped into the solution and placed in the cow’s vagina for a day.

In addition, infected animals respond well to treatment using onion or garlic gruel, which is made from 5 tbsp. l. shredded plant. The resulting mass is wrapped in gauze and injected into the genital tract of the animal for 7-8 hours. After removing the tampons and gauze, it is recommended to lubricate the walls of the genital organs of the cow with fish oil.

Prognosis and prevention

Treatment of vaginitis is usually delayed for a long period of time and is not always successful. The likelihood of developing the disease can be minimized by the following set of measures:

1. As soon as there is suspicion that a cow has contracted vaginitis, it must be separated from the rest of the herd so that the disease does not spread to other animals.
2. If at least one individual has been diagnosed with inflammation, the premises where the herd is kept should be treated with a 10-15% solution of slaked lime.
3. Healthy cows should not be naturally inseminated. The artificial method is safer in this regard.
4. From time to time it is necessary to take sperm from sires for sterility.
5. If sick individuals were found in the livestock, healthy animals are transferred to other places only after 20 days of quarantine.

The prognosis for successful treatment is generally favorable, vaginitis cannot be fatal. In most cases, the disease becomes chronic, but in remission, foreign bacteria do not cause discomfort to the cow.

Conclusion

Vaginitis in cows in itself is not as dangerous as it might seem, however, treatment should not be delayed – the disease can lead to serious complications if the necessary measures are not taken in time. At the first sign of irritation, it is recommended to call a veterinarian to provide qualified assistance, since self-treatment has a high risk of aggravating the condition of the animal. Depending on the subtype of infection, vaginitis is treated differently.

Alternative methods of treatment are resorted to only when it is not possible to consult a specialist.

You can learn more about relieving inflammation of the genital organs in cattle from the video below: