Therapeutic Management of Foetal Mummification in a Jersey Crossbred Cow

The reported incidence of bovine fetal mummification is between 0.13-1.8% (Kumar and Saxena, 2018). Higher incidences are seen in Jersey and Guernsey breeds with recurrence (30%) in the those having experience of similar event in their previous gestation (Lefebvre, 2015). Fetal mummification in cattle occurs around 70 days of gesta tion after the stages of placentation and fetal ossification (Kumar et al., 2018a). However, most commonly reported cases are between 3rd to 8th months of gestation (Kumar et al., 2019). Fetal mummies in cattle are covered with a vis cous brown colored sticky material and therefore, termed as hematic or chocolate mummification (Kumar and Saxena, 2018). Infectious (Leptospirosis, Bovine Viral Diarrhoea and Neospora caninum infections), non-infectious (uterine torsion, twisted or compressed umbilical cord, hormonal disturbances and chromosomal aberrations) as well as environmental conditions (drought and extreme weather) serve as etiological factors in cattle (Arunpandian et al., 2024). Absence of fetal signal for parturition induction causes pregnancy to remain undisturbed (Noakes et al., 2019). Resorption of amniotic and allantoic tissues post foetal death dehydrates the foetal tissues. The longer the foetus is retained in-utero, the dryer, firmer and leatherier it becomes.