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Placental retention
After the calf is born, the cow must expel the placenta — what breeders call delivery or afterbirth. This normally happens within a few hours of calving. We speak of retained placenta when the envelopes are still in place beyond approximate...
What is it?
After the calf is born, the cow must expel the placenta — what breeders call delivery or afterbirth. This normally happens within a few hours of calving.
We speak of retained placenta when the envelopes are still in place beyond approximately twenty-four hours. The placenta then remains attached to the wall of the uterus, hangs from the vulva and slowly decomposes.
It is not a disease in itself but a very common calving accident, the seriousness of which is due to what it causes: infection of the uterus, drop in production, delay in reproduction.
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:
Visible membranes hanging from the vulva more than twenty-four hours after calving. They can also remain entirely inside: the cow then appears to have delivered when this is not the case.
Brownish discharge, becoming more and more smelly as the tissues decompose.
The cow can remain perfectly normal for the first few days: appetite preserved, milk normal.
When the infection sets in, fever, loss of appetite, depression and a drop in milk production appear.
Some cows push, arch their backs or wag their tails repeatedly.
When to consult without delay
This list does not replace veterinary advice. It gathers situations that justify a prompt consultation.
Causes and risk factors
The attachment points between the placenta and the wall of the uterus do not detach as they should during calving.
Any abnormal birth predisposes to it: premature calving, abortion, twins, difficult calving, cesarean section, stillborn calf.
Uterine contractions may be insufficient, especially in cows with milk fever or suffering from a lack of calcium.
Dietary imbalances at the end of gestation – excess energy, deficiency of selenium, vitamin E or other trace elements – play a recognized role.
Certain infectious diseases responsible for abortion are also accompanied by non-delivery.
Difficult or assisted calving, twins, stillborn calves, premature calving.
Milk fever and calcium disorders around parturition.
Cows too fat when drying off.
Deficiencies in selenium, vitamin E and other trace elements during the dry period.
Heat stress at the end of gestation, a common situation during the hot summers of the Maghreb.
History of retention during a previous calving.
Old, high-producing cows.
Diagnosis and care
Diagnosis is the veterinarian's responsibility, based on clinical examination and laboratory tests. Care is decided case by case.
The veterinarian first checks the general condition of the cow: temperature, appetite, production, hydration state. It is this examination, and not the simple presence of the membranes, which determines the course of action to take.
He examines the genital tract looking for a tear or a second calf remaining in place.
Palpation or an ultrasound allows you to assess the contents of the uterus.
The cow is then monitored for several days, because the real risk is the uterine infection that can follow.
Treatment
The behavior depends on the condition of the cow, and is decided with the veterinarian.
Never pull on hanging membranes. Tearing tears the wall of the uterus, causes bleeding and allows microbes to enter deeper: this is the most common and damaging mistake.
Also, do not cut the part that hangs flush with the vulva without veterinary advice.
Manual removal of the placenta is no longer systematically recommended: it damages the uterus and delays healing. The veterinarian only practices it in specific cases.
When the cow has a fever or is down, antibiotic treatment and general support are put in place, as for metritis.
When the cow remains in great shape, simple close monitoring is often the best option: the placenta will eventually detach on its own.
In all cases where medication has been administered, the withdrawal period for milk and meat set by the veterinarian must be scrupulously respected.
Treatment depends on the cause and the animal's condition: it must be determined by a veterinarian. No self-medication.
Prevention
Take care of the dry ration: neither cows are too fat, nor excess energy, intake of minerals, selenium and vitamin E in accordance with your veterinarian's recommendations.
Prevent milk fever through appropriate feeding before calving.
Ensure calving in good conditions: clean and mulched box, monitoring, measured and hygienic intervention when necessary.
Limit thermal stress at the end of gestation: shade, ventilation, unlimited fresh water.
Have cows that have already shown retention checked: they are more at risk the next time they calve.
Note each non-delivery: if it becomes frequent in the herd, it is a breeding management problem that must be analyzed globally.
Possible complications
Metritis, then chronic endometritis.
Generalized infection in the most affected cows.
Fall in milk production during lactation.
Significant extension of the time before a new pregnancy, increase in the number of inseminations necessary, anticipated reform.
Frequent association with ketosis and abomasum displacement at the start of lactation.
When to see a veterinarian
The membranes are still in place more than twenty-four hours after calving.
Your cow has a fever, stops eating or loses milk after calving.
The discharge becomes foul-smelling.
Calving was difficult, there were twins or the calf was stillborn.
You don't know if the cow has delivered: have it checked rather than waiting.
Never try to remove the placenta yourself, even if it seems loose.
Prognosis
Most cows that remain in good general condition make a full recovery, with the placenta detaching on its own within a few days.
The prognosis depends above all on the occurrence or not of metritis: it is this which costs milk and reproduction time.
A cow with retention followed by metritis takes on average longer to become pregnant again; reproductive monitoring after calving clearly improves results.
Frequently asked questions
How long can we wait before worrying?
Beyond approximately twenty-four hours after calving, we speak of retention. This is not an emergency in itself if the cow is eating and producing normally, but it should be monitored closely and reported to the veterinarian.
Why shouldn't the placenta be pulled?
Because it is still securely attached to the wall of the uterus. Pulling tears away the mucous membrane, causing bleeding and leaving pieces inside: the risk of serious infection increases instead of decreasing.
Can the cow eat the expelled placenta?
Some do, but it is better to collect and eliminate the afterglow quickly: it is more hygienic for the box and avoids digestive problems.
Will my cow retain her placenta at the next calving?
The risk is higher, without being systematic. Working on the dry ration, minerals and calving conditions significantly reduces this risk.
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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