Ovarian cysts in dairy cattle--observations of symptoms and milk progesterone values; therapy with GnRH and a combination of GnRH and PG.

Ovarian cysts of 59 cows were treated with an intramuscular dose of 50 micrograms GnRH analogue. Half of the cows were 9 days later further treated with 0.5 mg cloprostenol. The clinical symptoms were recorded. Whole milk progesterone was monitored on day of the treatment (GnRH) and on day 7. Most of the cows that had a high progesterone level showed no clinical symptoms of the ovarian cysts. The majority of the cows (50/59) had a low progesterone status (less than 10 nmol/l) at the time of the initial treatment. In only 7 cows the level had not risen by day 7. The cows of GnRH + PG group came into heat sooner (P less than 0.01) and conceived rather well; the treatment-conception interval was not, however, significantly shorter than in the GnRH group.