Recombinant protein subunit vaccine reduces puerperal metritis incidence and modulates the genital tract microbiome.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of 3 vaccine formulations containing proteins (FimH, leukotoxin, and pyolysin), inactivated whole cells (Escherichia coli, Fusobacterium necrophorum, and Trueperella pyogenes), or both, in the prevention of postpartum uterine diseases. A randomized clinical trial was conducted at a commercial dairy farm; 800 heifers were assigned into 1 of 4 different treatment groups: control, vaccine 1 (bacterin and subunit proteins), vaccine 2 (bacterin), and vaccine 3 (recombinant subunit proteins), and each heifer received a subcutaneous injection of its respective treatment at 240 ± 3 and 270 ± 3 d of gestation. Vaccination significantly reduced the incidence of puerperal metritis when compared with control (9.

Effect of pegbovigrastim administration on the microbiome found in the vagina of cows postpartum.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of pegbovigrastim (PEG) treatment of peripartum Holstein cows on the microbiome found in the vagina postpartum using sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. A subset of cows was randomly sampled from a larger study where cows had been randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments: pegbovigrastim (PEG) or untreated control (CTR). The PEG-treated cows received a subcutaneous injection containing 15 mg of pegbovigrastim 7 d before expected calving and a second injection within 24 h of calving.

Effects of pegbovigrastim administration on periparturient diseases, milk production, and reproductive performance of Holstein cows.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of treating Holstein cows with pegbovigrastim on periparturient diseases, milk production, and reproductive performance while exploring the mode of action of an immunomodulatory protein. Cows were randomly allocated to 1 of 2 treatments, untreated control (CTR, n = 423) and pegbovigrastim (PEG, n = 417). At 7 d from the anticipated calving date (d -7), cows allocated to PEG received a subcutaneous injection of 15 mg of pegylated recombinant bovine granulocyte colony stimulating factor (pegbovigrastim injection, Imrestor, Elanco Animal Health, Greenfield, IN).

Field trial of 2 calcium supplements on early lactation health and production in multiparous Holstein cows.

Our objectives were to measure serum Ca concentrations in the first 48 h postpartum in cows supplemented with oral Ca or subcutaneous Ca and nonsupplemented cows and evaluate the effect of these treatments on the incidence of metritis, displaced abomasum, mastitis, and early lactation disease (any of the diseases milk fever, retained placenta, metritis, or displaced abomasum), removal from the herd, pregnancy to first insemination, and average daily milk yield for the first 10 wk of lactation. We conducted 2 experiments on 1 commercial herd in New York State. In experiment 1, multiparous Holstein cows (n = 30) were blocked by parity (2 and ≥3) and sequentially assigned at calving to nontreated control (CON, n = 10), subcutaneous administration of 500 mL 23% Ca gluconate at calving (SC, n = 10), or administration of an oral Ca bolus containing 43 g of calcium at calving and again 12 h later (OB, n = 10).

Prophylactic use of a standardized botanical extract for the prevention of naturally occurring diarrhea in newborn Holstein calves.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the prophylactic use of SB-300 (Jaguar Animal Health, San Francisco, CA), a standardized botanical extract isolated from the bark latex of Croton lechleri, on reducing fecal water losses and diarrhea events in Holstein bull calves individually housed under a restricted whole-milk feeding regimen (6 L/d) from 1 to 25 d of life. Fluid therapy administration due to dehydration, average weight gain, and the fecal microbiome were also evaluated. Bull calves used in this study were born from normal parturition, fed 4 L of pooled pasteurized colostrum by esophageal feeder, and moved to a research facility at Cornell University (Ithaca, NY).