This study aimed to compare the therapeutic effects of a traditional Chinese veterinary medicine compound and western medicine on retained placenta in dairy cows.

A total of 45 healthy adult dairy cows that failed to expel fetal membranes within 6 h after calving were randomly divided into three groups: traditional Chinese veterinary medicine group, western medicine group, and control group, with 15 cows in each group. Cows in the traditional Chinese veterinary medicine group were administered a compound herbal decoction, cows in the western medicine group received intramuscular injection of cloprostenol sodium, while no treatment was applied in the control group. Placental expulsion time, placental expulsion rate within 48 h, serum IL-6 level, white blood cell (WBC) count, serum biochemical parameters, milk yield during the first postpartum week, and feed intake were determined.

The results showed that the placental expulsion time in the traditional Chinese veterinary medicine group (8.4 ± 2.1) h was significantly shorter than that in the control group (18.6 ± 3.5) h and was comparable to that in the western medicine group (7.8±2.3) h. The placental expulsion rate within 48 h reached 86.7% in the traditional Chinese veterinary medicine group, which was significantly higher than that in the control group (46.7%) (P < 0.05). In addition, serum IL-6 level and WBC count were significantly reduced in the traditional Chinese veterinary medicine group (P < 0.05). Liver function indicators, including ALT, AST, LDH, TP, ALB, and GGT, were also markedly improved compared with the control group. Furthermore, average milk yield and feed intake during the first postpartum week in the traditional Chinese veterinary medicine group were (146.2 ± 10.5) kg and (18.6 ± 1.7) kg/d, respectively, both significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05).

Overall, the results indicate that the traditional Chinese veterinary medicine compound has favorable clinical efficacy in treating retained placenta in dairy cows. It not only effectively promotes placental expulsion, but also improves inflammatory response, metabolic function, and production performance, showing good application prospects. This study provides experimental evidence for the green prevention and control of obstetric diseases in dairy cows.