India is an agrarian society where the economy is dependent on agriculture and dairy farming for the nations’ growth and progress sector. Dairy industry being one of the leading industries contributes greatly to the Indian economy. According to the latest research conducted on the total value of dairy sector of India, the dairy market in India reached a value of 11,357 billion in the year 2020. One of the grave obstacles which may stand firmly on the way of dairy farmers and cattle is of abortion. Abortion in cattle being both physically and mentally difficult process for the cattle it does significantly affect the cattle-farmer as well who is dependent upon milk and its products for their livelihoods.
ABORTION: CAUSES & REASONS
Abortion refers to termination of pregnancy after organogenesis is complete but before the expelled foetus can survive. Let us try to understand the reasons or causes of abortion –
Abortion Causes –
A] INFECTIOUS CAUSES:
Infection refers to different bacterial and viral pathogens which infects the body triggering disease process. There are wide range of bacterial and viral agents which propagate and affect the reproductive tract leading to reproductive-tract related diseases and conditions such as reproductive failure, localized infections and abortion in pregnant cattle.
1. Blue Tongue Virus
2. BVD Virus [Bovine Viral Diarrhoea]
3. Brucella
4. Campylobacter
5. Other infectious agents causing abortion are:
B] NON-INFECTIOUS CAUSES:
Apart from infectious agents such as those mentioned above, there are certain reasons which can directly or indirectly cause abortion. One of the causes is Genetic variation. Some cattle carrying lethal genes can cause early embryonic death or abortion. This is generally very rare phenomenon. Nutritional deficiency can also cause variety of disorders and reproductive tract dysfunction including reproduction failure. Vitamin A, Vitamin E, selenium, and iron have a crucial role to play in reproductive health and have been implicated in cases of abortion.
Environment also plays a key role in optimal overall health of cattle. This includes atmospheric temperature as well. Excessive heat or cold can trigger stress and cause wide range of physical issues, for example, heat stress or high atmospheric temperature can cause foetal death, also, high maternal body temperature also contributes to this. Trauma or accidents too may cause abortion despite the embryo being well protected by foetal membranes.
Ingestion of toxic plants or pesticides or herbicide laden plants can essentially trigger series of ill-effects including severe health complications both for cow as well as her foetus. For example, c mycotoxins having estrogenic activity may lead to abortion.
DIAGNOSTICS:
There are tests such as per-rectal examination, ultra-sonography technique which can be adopted by the veterinarian depending upon the case and need of the hour. Checking blood progesterone levels too can aid in establishing the diagnosis. Usually, diagnosis is based on the history. The farmer may observe abortion which may give a clear idea about the ongoing issue. In case, abortion has not been observed, failure of conception or failure to observe pregnancy progression continues to be the top indicator of some ongoing reproductive tract related disorders which needs to be promptly checked.
CARE & TREATMENT
Yes, this event is rather unfortunate and difficult for both farmer as well as the cattle, it is very important to shift our focus on two things – One: to offer utmost care and Two: to provide utmost medical assistance.
1. Offering utmost care
If your cattle have been selected to breed and conceive, proper care must be taken right from the time of conception. In fact, proper nutrition, care etc should be prioritized few weeks to a month prior to mating as it helps the body to prepare well and the pregnancy is smoother than anticipated. For pregnant cattle, care must be taken that they are not coming in contact with infectious materials or infection-carrying cattle. Also, they must be well-fed to prevent them from grazing out and eating random plants which may or may not be toxic. For recently aborted cattle, proper veterinary help must be sought out to help plan the next steps: i.e., Treating the cause of abortion and helping the cattle out to prepare them for future conception.
2. Providing Medical Assistance
Medical assistance does not always refer to medicines or drugs but it also involves other parameters such as nutrition, supplements, etc. medicine should have a 360-degree approach and it definitely consists of lifestyle alterations as well as certain changes in feeding habits.
Dietary fix and proper nutrition play an important role in modulating immunity and health, thus, few small changes in diets can help.
Also, novel homeopathic approach for this case is ABORTIGO which is an advanced Homoeopathic Veterinary Medicinal formulation for calving animals to prevent and treat abortions of any underlying cause to save the life of mother and child. It is used to prevent abortions of any underlying cause without any side effects or contraindications and helps in retaining uterine tonicity by stimulating hormones and nourishing the uterine muscles through increased metabolism of calcium and other minerals. It also acts as preventive medicine for habitual abortions by increasing immunity against all major infectious diseases which threaten the life of the fetus and also the mother.
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