Effect of minerals and vitamins supplementation during the non-lactating period on incidence of metritis in lactating dairy cows

A. E. RELLING; C.G. SARRAMONE; E. TURIC; M. SAIN-MARTIN; MATTIOLI G.A.

Pittsburgh

Congreso; 2017 American Dairy Science Association® Annual Meeting; 2017

Trace minerals and vitamins associated with antioxidant defense improvethe immune response in dairy cattle during critical periods such as peripartum. Metritis represents a severe consequence of immune failure. Theobjective of the current study was to evaluate the effect of prepartumtrace mineral and vitamin supplementation on the incidence of metritisin early lactation dairy cows. The trial was realized in a commercialdairy herd in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The herd was comprised of574 primiparous and multiparous Holstein cows that were randomlydivided in 2 groups: supplemented (n = 301) and non-supplemented(n = 273). Supplementation consisted of 3 parenteral applications oftrace minerals and vitamins (Cu: 50 mg, Zn: 200 mg, Mn: 50 mg, Se:25 mg, Vit. A: 315000 IU, and Vit. E: 250 IU - Adaptador, BiogénesisBagó SA). Treatment was applied at drying off (60 d before calving),21 d before calving, and at calving. The effect of treatment on theincidence of metritis was assessed by logistic regression analysis. Themodel included the fied effects of mineral and vitamin supplementation(supplemented vs. non-supplemented), parity (1 vs. 2+) and their interaction. For the main and interaction effects, the α level of signifiancewas set at P < 0.05 and P < 0.1, respectively. The incidence for metritisshows a treatment by parity interaction (P = 0.09). The risk of metritisdecreased in supplemented multiparous cows, but not in primiparouscows compared with non-supplemented. Supplemented multiparouscows had a lower prevalence of metritis than non-supplemented (14 vs26%, respectively). Conversely, the percentage of affected primiparouscows was similar for those receiving or not receiving the supplementation (32 vs. 30%, respectively). In conclusion, supplementation witha mix of antioxidant trace minerals and vitamins reduces the odds formetritis in multiparous cows