EN
The purpose of the study was clinical and bacteriological evaluation of uterine self-healings in cows with clinical endometritis and determining the impact of the phenomenon on the reproductive performance. Study was performed on 35 cows in which, by means of vaginoscopy, mucous-purulent and purulent secretions were observed in the 4th and 6th week after delivery. Moreover, uterus involution and ovarian activity were evaluated by rectal palpation, ultrasonography, and determination of progesterone blood level. Additionally, by means of bacteriological tests, the presence and types of bacteria strains were determined. The obtained results were compared with those in cows with clinically normal uterus. It was found that in about 80% of cows with endometritis clinical healing occurred. This was accompanied by efficient uterus involution, despite the fact that the horns and cervix were permanently larger than in cows from the control group (P<0.05). An increasing numbers of cows with negative result of bacteriological tests and elimination of pathogenic bacteria (Arcanobacterium pyogenes) were also observed. The remaining 20% of the animals displayed a delayed uterus involution. Around 90% of the cows with endometritis, similarly as animals with clinically normal uterus, showed follicles or corpus luteum on ovaries, while in this group, a tendency for follicles domination was observed. Nevertheless, the period from parturition to the first insemination in these cows was longer than in animals with clinically normal uterus (76.4 d versus 66.1 d). All evaluated fertility indices were worse in the group of cows with self-healings. This particularly referred to the calving-conception interval (116.3 ±50.6 d versus 93.7 ±93.4 d, P≤ 0.05) and inseminations index (2.3 versus 1.7). This study showed that the phenomenon of uterus clinical self-healing is active in the postpartum period and refers also to a great number of animals with mucous-purulent or purulent endometritis; however, it is accompanied by a significant decrease in these animals' fertility.