This mode of therapy is specific and appropriate for releasing the placenta from the uterus but has not evolved into a practical treatment. Many medications have been placed into the uterus of cows with retained placenta. Veterinarians have sometimes devised very detailed protocols requiring sequential placement of antibiotics and other chemicals into the uterus on various days after calving. To date there is no data supporting the beneficial effects of intrauterine therapy for retained placenta. Some cows do not become sick, do not stink, and require no therapy whatsoever.
Most cows do become systemically ill and require antibiotic and adjunctive therapy.
The aim of therapy is both to minimize illness at the start of lactation so feed intake and milk production will get off to a good start and to reduce the reproductive inefficiency at the start of the breeding period. I work with many large dairies where therapy of routine problems is administered by the herd staff under my guidance. To insure consistency in treatment programs, protocols have been developed to cover most common conditions including retained placenta and metritis. Fresh cow monitoring is a part of the daily routine on these dairies. Whether your dairy is large or small, the principles of systematic approaches to health problems will help insure that the right cows are treated and with logical interventions.