Ozone Treatment in Mastitis, Metritis and Retention of Fetal Membranes in the Dairy Cow

Scrollavezza P¹, Ablondi M², Pogliacomi B², Guareschi D², Dall'Aglio R³, Poldi R¹, Pezzoli G¹.

1 - Study University of Parma, Italy
2 - DVM, Parma, Italy
3 - DM, Parma, Italy

Presented in Havana, Cuba, 1997.

Mastitis, metritis and retention of fetal membranes are diseases that may affect any species, but are of greatest economic importance in the dairy cow.

• decreased milk and reproductive production
• discarded milk and decreased production
• veterinary and labor costs
• culling and death costs
• lost milk and reproductive quality
• $ 2.5 bilion/year

• Technical factors that predispose to establishment of infection within the gland are poor milking hygiene, milking machine faults, faulty milking management and teat injuries
• Although it may be caused by chemical or physical agents, the causes are almost entirely infectious, and mostly bacterial
• Pathogens of the bovine udder are categorized as
  • Major
    • contagious (Streptococcus agalactiae, Staphilococcus aureus, Mycoplasma)
    • environmental (Streptococcus uberis, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Coliforms)
  • Minor
    • (Corynebacterium bovis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium spp, Nocardia asteroides, Aspergillus spp, Serratia rufuscens, Prototheca spp)
  • On a herd basis, the only significant causes of mastitis is bacteria.
  • Bacterial mastitis becomes clinical when milk has a cell count greater than 500.000 cells/ml and an etiologic agent can be isolated.
  • Mastitis is considered subclinical when milk has an elevated cell count, with or without isolation of a bacteriological agent.

• The peracute cow needs to be treated with systemic and intramammary antibiotics, oral or intravenous fluids and anti-inflammatory drugs
• An acutely affected cow should be treated with systemic and intramammary antibiotics for a minimum of 3 days
• The subacute case requires only intramammary antibiotic therapy for 3 days after each milking
• Most mastitis (approximately the 90%) in a herd is subclinical and the only treatment is the prevention.

• The selection of antibiotics should be based on the sensivities of identified pathogens; the laboratory identification need at least 3 days.
• The milk of the treated cow can't used for industrial or nutritional purpose in the administration time (3 days or more) plus the antibiotic withdrawal time (3 days or more).

• Acute metritis almost always occurs following abnormal parturition. Contaminants enter the uterus during parturition and establish infection. Delayed uterine involution is the major predisposing factor and is often accompained by retention of fetal membranes.
• Affected cows can be anorectic, depressed, fevered, toxic and can become dehydrated and/or go in shock. There is often a foul-smelling suppurative to reddish- brown vulvar discharge.

• Pathologic uterine infections that persist into the intermediate postpartum period are referred as endometritis. Endometritis can also results from pyometra or by introduction of pathogens during insemination.

• The most important aerobic organism involved in pathologic postpartum uterine infections (metritis) is Actinomyces pyogenes, often in conjunction with gram- anaerobes (Fusobacterium necrophorum, Bacterioides spp).
• Infections with Pasteurella spp, Bacillus spp, Pseudomonas spp, streptococci and stafilococci cause acute metritis, but are the predominant factor in the onset of chronic metritis and endometritis.

• Cows with severe metritis require appropriate supportive therapy
• To ensure adequate concentrations of antibiotic in all part of the reproductive tract, both local and systemic therapy may be required for a minimun of 3 days.
• Infusing warm water or saline into the postpartum uterus is suggested as a means to remove infected materials

• Local insufflation consists in the immission of gas (50-100 ml) at different concentration directly in the affected quarter
• Concentration is established on:
  • the mastitis onset
  • the presence and the type of the inflammatory reaction
  • cell count (CMT or electronic count)
• Uterine ozonized water infusion (flushing) changing in volume and concentration with
• the uterine conditions (presence of fetal membranes, inflammation, discharge, blood)
  • estrous cycle activity
  • Uterine ozonized ovuli immission

• We performed ozonized autoemotherapy with 2-5 ml/kg of blood using the borbotage technique.
• Concentration was established on:
  • the mastitis type
  • the general condition of the cow (fever, anorexia, weakness, marked depression)

1. Direct on the Pathogen
   • is quite elucidated
2. Indirect on the Immunosystem
   • If we have some doubts in the human being, more difficulties are in the Bovine Immunity System, where there are others endogenous inhibitor.

• the costs of ozone treatment are
  • the machine ozone generator
  • the oxygen cylinder
  • the anticoagulant drug
• is not always necessary the laboratory analysis needed to find the mastitis pathogen
• period treatment wiyh ozone is short

• discarded milk
• veterinary and labor costs
• therapy costs
• culling and death costs
• lost milk quality
• decreased milk production

• discarded milk - NO
• veterinary and labor costs - LOWER
• therapy costs - LOWER
• culling and death costs - LOWER
• lost milk quality - NO
• increased milk production

• veterinary and labor costs
• therapy costs
• death costs
• decreased reproduction ratio

• veterinary and labor costs - LOWER
• therapy costs LOWER
• death costs - LOWER
• increased reproduction ratio

• in the pathogen peracute, acute and subacute mastitis, milk samples collection become sterile after 1 or 2 ozone treatments:
  1. treatment if local ozone administration is associated with ozone autoemotherapy
  2. treatments using local ozone insufflation
• in the subclinical mastitis, ozone can decrease the cell count and increase the milk production

• ozone can sterilize acute, peracute (endo)metritis and pyometra after 1 or 2 ozone treatments
  1. treatment if local ozone administration is associated with ozone autoemotherapy
  2. treatments using local ozone uterine flushing or ozonized ovuli
• ozone improve fertility in the subclinical endometritis
  • the constant use of ozonized oil ovuli before breeding seems to increase pregnancy ratio

• effective
• safe
• easy
• fast
• cheap
• of great economic value in the dairy cow herd

• Researcher Difficulty
  • Low Funds
• Veterinary Difficulty
  • Is not easy to establish the right ozone concentration
  • ozone is a potent drug
  • Economic Loss

• Owner Difficulty
  • Change the way to deal with these diseases
  • You use "air" and "water"
• Pharmaceutical Company Problem
  • The reduce the sales up to 50%

• For the Researcher, the Vet and the Owner
  • The Researchers have to continue the use of ozone treatments and show them the experimental results
• For the Pharmaceutical Company
  • Use Antibiotic in association with Ozone
  • Ozone enhance the efficacy of antibiotic