Clinical evaluation of a novel intravaginal probiotic product on uterine health in postpartum dairy cows

Uterine disease, including metritis, affects the majority of dairy cattle herds and significantly reduces both reproductive performance and milk production. Generally applied treatment protocols for metritis include antimicrobials; however, the spread of antimicrobial resistance has increased the need for alternative prevention and treatment methods in recent years. This study aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy of a novel intravaginal probiotic product containing Brevibacillus agri and five lactic acid bacteria species for the prevention of uterine disease in multiparous Holstein-Friesian cows. In total, 453 cows participated in the study on two different commercial dairy farms. The treatment protocol included one prepartum and two postpartum treatments with the product. A non-significant tendency toward lower vaginal discharge scores was observed in treated cows across both farms (OR = 0.59, p = 0.186). There were no significant changes in rectal temperature, blood BHB and serum iCa concentrations, fetal membrane retention, the number of services/pregnancy, or the length of the service period due to treatment. In conclusion, further investigations are necessary to formulate a product that can be successfully applied to dairy cattle farms to improve uterine health.