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Cow metritis
Metritis is an infection of the uterus that occurs in the days or weeks after calving. After giving birth, the uterus is open and still contains blood, debris and microbes: it normally cleans itself and closes on its own within a few weeks....
What is it?
Metritis is an infection of the uterus that occurs in the days or weeks after calving. After giving birth, the uterus is open and still contains blood, debris and microbes: it normally cleans itself and closes on its own within a few weeks. When this cleaning is done incorrectly, bacteria multiply and inflame the wall.
We schematically distinguish two situations. Acute metritis appears in the first fortnight after calving: the cow is frankly ill, with fever and abundant, smelly discharge. Endometritis, later and more discreet, does not make the cow sick but leaves an inflamed uterus which prevents a new pregnancy.
It is one of the leading causes of infertility and culling in dairy farms. A cow that “does not recover” after a difficult calving should always suggest metritis.
Key point
Acute metritis with fever and depression is an emergency: the infection can spread to the bloodstream within a few days.
Commonly observed signs
These signs are neither exhaustive nor specific. Only a veterinarian can establish a diagnosis.
Related signs — each one links to its page:
Discharge from the vulva, thick, reddish-brown or grayish, often with a foul odor. It can be spotted on the tail, on the thighs, or on the litter where the cow has lain down.
Fever in acute forms, with cold ears and dry muzzle.
Decrease or cessation of appetite, refusal of the ration, slowed rumination.
Rapid drop in milk production, sometimes by several liters from one day to the next.
Depression: the cow remains behind, moves little, back arched.
Dehydration and weight loss when the infection lasts.
In late-onset endometritis, the cow appears in good health: only a flow of cloudy mucus during heat, or repeated returns to heat, attract attention.
When to consult without delay
This list does not replace veterinary advice. It gathers situations that justify a prompt consultation.
Causes and risk factors
Bacteria from the environment, present in the litter and on the skin, move up into a uterus that remains open after calving.
Anything that delays the closing and cleaning of the uterus promotes infection: retained placenta, difficult calving, twins, abortion, stillborn calf.
Interventions made at the time of calving without sufficient hygiene – hands, ropes, equipment – directly introduce microbes.
A cow whose defenses are weakened after calving fights these bacteria less well: this is the case for cows that are too fat when they dry off, or those whose ration does not cover the needs at the start of lactation.
Retained placenta: this is the most constant factor.
Difficult calving, prolonged human assistance, cesarean section, twins, stillborn calf.
Poor hygiene in the calving box: soiled, damp bedding, reused from one cow to another.
Cows too fat or too thin at calving time.
Poorly balanced transition ration and accompanying drop in immunity.
Mineral and vitamin deficiency around calving, particularly calcium and trace elements.
Extreme heat, common in Tunisia and the Maghreb: heat stress reduces appetite and weakens cows at the end of pregnancy.
Diagnosis and care
Diagnosis is the veterinarian's responsibility, based on clinical examination and laboratory tests. Care is decided case by case.
The veterinarian takes the temperature, examines the general condition, the vulva and the discharge, and palpates the uterus rectally to judge its size and contents.
An examination of the vagina allows you to see where the discharge is coming from and to rule out a tear or calving injury.
The ultrasound specifies the condition of the uterine wall and the presence of fluid.
Samples can be taken to identify the bacteria involved and guide the choice of treatment, particularly in farms where metritis is repeated.
The veterinarian systematically looks for other diseases of the beginning of lactation which often accompany metritis: milk fever, displacement of the abomasum, acetonemia.
Treatment
Treatment is entirely up to the veterinarian. Acute forms with fever are treated with antibiotics, supplemented as appropriate by anti-inflammatories to reduce the fever and restore appetite.
In severe forms with dehydration, rehydration by infusion and general support are necessary.
Certain situations involve hormonal treatments intended to make the uterus contract and empty, or to restart the cycle; their use is decided on a case-by-case basis after examination.
Washing the uterus is not trivial: if done incorrectly, it aggravates the infection. They cannot be improvised and are only practiced on the veterinarian's decision.
At the same time, the cow must be made to eat and drink: unlimited clean and fresh water, good quality fodder, straw-filled and calm box.
After any treatment, the waiting period for milk and meat must be strictly respected. This deadline is set by the veterinarian depending on the products used: do not deliver the milk and do not send the animal to the slaughterhouse before the end of this deadline.
Treatment depends on the cause and the animal's condition: it must be determined by a veterinarian. No self-medication.
Prevention
Calving hygiene is the central point. Provide a clean, dry, heavily mulched calving box, cleaned and re-mulched between two cows.
Wash your arms, use single-use gloves and clean equipment for each procedure; never use dirty calving ropes.
Do not intervene too early or suddenly: excessive traction injures the genital tract and opens the door to infection.
Take care of the drying and transition period: cows neither too fat nor too thin, appropriate ration, mineral and vitamin intake in accordance with your veterinarian's advice.
Monitor each freshly calved cow: temperature, appetite, milk produced, appearance of discharge during the first two weeks.
Protect the herd from the heat: shade, ventilation, abundant watering, distribution of the ration during cool hours.
Possible complications
Passage of the infection into the blood, with a state of shock which can kill the cow in a few days.
Long-lasting infertility: chronically inflamed uterus, accumulation of pus, adhesions around the ovaries and tubes.
Lengthening of the interval between two calvings, repeated returns to heat, premature culling.
Loss of milk production throughout lactation.
Frequent association with abomasum displacement and ketosis at the start of lactation.
When to see a veterinarian
Your cow has a smelly vulvar discharge after calving.
She has a fever, stops eating or refuses to get up in the days following giving birth.
Its milk production falls sharply.
She held her placenta for more than twenty-four hours.
Calving was difficult or required significant assistance: have the cow checked even if she appears fine.
She comes into heat repeatedly without being fertilized, or has cloudy mucus during heat.
Prognosis
If caught early, acute metritis heals well and the cow returns to a normal cycle.
The prognosis for reproduction is less good when the infection has lasted: fertilization can be delayed by several months and some cows never become pregnant again.
Severe forms with shock remain dangerous for the animal's life despite treatment.
In a herd, the repetition of metritis almost always reflects a problem with calving hygiene or transitional feeding: this is where action must be taken.
Frequently asked questions
Is discharge after calving always abnormal?
No. For two to three weeks after giving birth, a reddish then clear discharge, without a bad odor, is part of the normal cleaning of the uterus. What should alert you is a foul odor, a purulent appearance, or a cow that has a fever and is losing its milk.
Can I treat my cow myself with an antibiotic that I have already used?
No. The choice of product depends on the bacteria involved and the condition of the cow, and poorly conducted treatment promotes resistance and leaves residues in the milk. Only the veterinarian can prescribe and set the waiting period to be respected.
My cow seems in good health but is no longer holding up: could it be metritis?
Yes, this is the typical presentation of endometritis. The cow eats well and produces milk, but her uterus remains inflamed and the embryo does not implant. An examination of the genital tract can confirm this.
Is milk from a cow with metritis dangerous?
The main risk comes from medications: any milk produced during treatment and during the waiting period set by the veterinarian must be excluded from collection and consumption.
References
FAO — Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture
Content reviewed by the TunisieVet editorial team · Updated 09 August 2026
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