2009: Oxytocin therapy immediately after parturition does not reduce the incidence of retained fetal membranes or improve reproductive performance in crossbred Zebu cows.


Oxytocin therapy immediately after parturition does not reduce the incidence of retained 
fetal membranes or improve reproductive performance in crossbred Zebu cows. 

 
R.A. Palomares a,c, E. Sotoa, J.C. Gutiérreza, G. Portilloa,  J.C. Boscana, M.A. Monteroa, Y. 

Lópeza, G.S. Frazer b 
 

aUnidad de Investigación en Reproducción Animal. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. 
Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela;  bDepartment of Veterinary Preventive Medicine. 
College of Veterinary Medicine. The Ohio State University, Columbus OH, USA;  cDepartment 

of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA 
 

Oxytocin plays a crucial role during parturition and uterine involution. Many 
pharmaceutical companies recommend the administration of oxytocin to prevent retained fetal 
membranes (RFM) and improve reproductive performance (RP) in cows. However, there are 
limited reports to support this approach, and the results are contradictory. The objective of this 
study was to determine the effect of oxytocin therapy after parturition on the RFM incidence and 
RP in dual purpose cows under tropical conditions. Five hundred thirty six multiparous, 
crossbred Zebu cows were randomly assigned to two groups: Oxy (n=280): 30 IU of oxytocin 
(Pituifral® C.A. Laboratorios Asociados, Venezuela) injected i.m. immediately after normal 
parturition, and again 6 hours later and C (n=256): control. Expulsion of fetal membranes was 
evaluated 24 hours after delivery. Cows were subsequently inseminated12 hours after they were 
detected in estrus. Data were analyzed using proc logistic and GLM (SAS®, Cary, NC,USA). 
Oxytocin had no effect on the incidence of RFM (4.6 vs 3.1% for Oxy and C, respectively, 
P>0.05).  Cows in Oxy and C had similar conception and overall pregnancy rates (54.0 vs 47.8% 
and 75.4 vs 73.4%, respectively, P>0.05). There were no differences between Oxy and C for 
calving to first estrus (83.6 ± 3.7 vs 77.2 ± 3.8 days) and calving to conception intervals (113.6  ±  
5.0 vs 110.5  ±  5.2 days) anestrus (13.6 vs 13.7%), repeat breeding (21.8 vs 20.7%) and culling 
rates (15.7 vs 16.4%). Oxytocin therapy after parturition did not reduce the incidence of RFM or 
improve RP in crossbred Zebu cows under tropical conditions.  
 
Keywords: Oxytocin, calving, reproductive performance, Zebu, cows 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

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