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An Explanation for Bovine Parturition Edema and Treatment with Blood Protein Replacements

Laboratories of Biochemistry and Physiology, Department of Dairy Science, University of Illinois, Urbana

ABSTRACT

Certain species often have an edematous condition near the time of parturition. This syndrome in the bovine is most apparent in the subcutaneous tissues just anterior to, and in, the udder and occurs more frequently in first-calf heifers than in cows (1). The edema starts to appear a few weeks before parturition, usually reaches a maximum near the time of parturition, and gradually disappears within a few weeks after parturition. A means of controlling parturition edema is desirable, because it is the belief of many dairymen that in severe cases the swelling may permanently damage the udder and its attachments, and that animals which are potentially the highest producers are more susceptible. Many treatments have been prescribed, including prepartum milking, but none has proven generally effective (1).

Recent studies have suggested that there is a parallelism between the observable edema and the characteristic drop in the serum protein level of the blood at parturition (3).