Retained placenta is rare in most cow herds. The placenta is retained when the cotyledons on the placenta do not detatch or release from the caruncles on the uterus during parturition. This can occur during difficult births (dystocia) in beef cattle. Also, when cows are induced to calve, there is a higher incidence of retained placenta. Retained placenta can be associated with nutrition, in particular, low body condition score, low vitamin A or the mineral selenium. Your first response should be to call your veterinarian.

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