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Retained Placenta: A Systems Veterinary Approach

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Abstract

Retained placenta (RP) or retention of fetal membranes (RFM) is a common condition with high incidence in cattle that is typically defined as failure to expel the placenta within 24 h after parturition. Retained placenta is financially important to dairy industry because of treatment related costs, reduced milk production, milk withdrawal, labor, and veterinary services. Although RP has been a permanent issue of dairy industry, the real reason for failure to expel the fetal membranes and the pathogenesis still remain unknown. Mounting information suggest that retained placenta is a multifactorial health issue which involves cellular aspects of immune system, gene expression as well as protein and metabolite alterations. Recent pioneering research work utilizing omics sciences is bringing forth new findings that deserve to be discussed further. Utilization of systems biology in researching the pathobiology of the disease and causative agents promises to throw light on the etiopathology of RP.

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Correspondence to Elda Dervishi Ph.D. .

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Dervishi, E., Ametaj, B.N. (2017). Retained Placenta: A Systems Veterinary Approach. In: Ametaj, B. (eds) Periparturient Diseases of Dairy Cows. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43033-1_7

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