The cervix of a postpartum cow
Keywords: cervix, involution, bovine, cow, endometrium, lochia
Image size: 868 x 707px
The cervix of a cow seen at approximately one week after calving. This animal was euthanized because of a skeletal injury sustained during the birth of twin calves. Minor contusion and lacerations such as those seen here are common after parturition.
The bovine cervix closes down fairly rapidly after calving so that at this time (about a week after calving) it is difficult to introduce a hand into the uterus. However, the cervix remains open for at least 20 days to allow the discharge of lochia. This lochia becomes hemorrhagic at about 10 to 12 days when the remnants of the caruncles of pregnancy are sloughed to the level of the endometrial capilliary beds. It is also at about this time that the lochia begin to become purulent in nature as neutrophils enter the lumen from the capilliary beds. Therefore, if this photograph had been taken a few days later, it would not be unusual to find a hemorrhagic and somewhat purulent discharge being voided through the cervix.
