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Vetdle Archive

Archive Case #67: Bovine Acute Puerperal Metritis

Cattle veterinary case - Medium - May 9, 2026

Clinical Clues

  1. A dairy cow is seen one week after calving because she is depressed and off her feed.
  2. The farmer reports a sharp drop in milk yield and a fetid uterine discharge.
  3. The cow is febrile, dehydrated, and has sunken eyes.
  4. Rectal examination confirms an enlarged fluid-filled uterus.
  5. The discharge is watery, red-brown, and malodorous.
  6. Severe postpartum uterine infection with systemic illness is characteristic of acute puerperal metritis in cattle.

Diagnosis

Bovine Acute Puerperal Metritis

This case is most consistent with Bovine Acute Puerperal Metritis because the cow is acutely ill after calving with fetid discharge, fever, and uterine enlargement. The most important clues are the postpartum timing and systemic toxaemia, which distinguish acute puerperal metritis from clinical metritis without systemic illness.

Learning review

Review the case evidence

Use the paired clues to explain how the evidence in this cattle case supports the provided diagnosis, Bovine Acute Puerperal Metritis, then compare your reasoning with the case explanation.

Evidence checkpoints

Clues 1-2

  1. Clue 1: A dairy cow is seen one week after calving because she is depressed and off her feed.
  2. Clue 2: The farmer reports a sharp drop in milk yield and a fetid uterine discharge.

Clues 3-4

  1. Clue 3: The cow is febrile, dehydrated, and has sunken eyes.
  2. Clue 4: Rectal examination confirms an enlarged fluid-filled uterus.

Clues 5-6

  1. Clue 5: The discharge is watery, red-brown, and malodorous.
  2. Clue 6: Severe postpartum uterine infection with systemic illness is characteristic of acute puerperal metritis in cattle.

Self-review prompts

  1. After clues 1-2, what evidence from this cattle case shaped your initial interpretation?
  2. When you compare clues 3-4 with clues 1-2, what changed in your reasoning about Bovine Acute Puerperal Metritis?
  3. How do clues 5-6 align with the case explanation for Bovine Acute Puerperal Metritis?

Educational Use

Vetdle archive cases are educational veterinary games for diagnostic reasoning practice. They do not provide veterinary advice, diagnosis, treatment, or professional medical guidance.