Therapeutic Management of Repeat Breeding Buffaloes with Hormones and Antibiotics Under Field Conditions

This study was carried out during breeding season on 185 repeat breeding buffaloes to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of various hormonal and non-hormonal drugs in improving their reproductive efficiency. Repeat breeding buffaloes (162) were treated parenterally with different hormones and antibiotics, keeping 23 animals as untreated control, and results were compared with 25 normal cyclic buffaloes. The conception rates in the treatment cycle for 35, 30 and 22 repeat breeding buffaloes treated i/m with 0.02 mg GnRH (Receptal), just after AI and 500 mg & 250 mg of hydroxy-progesterone caproate (Duraprogen) on day 4^th or 5^th post-AI were 54.28, 50.00 and 40.09% and overall CRs within 3 cycles 80, 80 and 59% (P<0.05), respectively, with a mean treatment to fertile oestrus interval of 7.18±2.97, 6.51±3.28 and 9.75±3.78 days. The first service CRs for 33, 16 and 26 repeating buffaloes treated with Ceftriaxone (Inj. Vetacef 2 gm) i/u and Cephalexin (Lixen IU, 20 gm) i/u at 12–24 hrs post-AI, and Enrofloxacin single shot 30 ml (Inj. Bayrocin) i/m at the time of AI were 30.30, 31.25 and 23.08%, respectively, and overall CRs 66.66, 75.00 and 53.85% (P<0.01), with the fertile oestrus interval of, 14.87±4.53, 12.20±4.49 and 20.86± 5.53 days, respectively. In general, the first service and overall conception rates were highest (P<0.01) for GnRH and progesterone 500 mg treated groups, comparable with normal cyclic group (52 and 84%), as compared to progesterone 250 mg and all 3 antibiotics treated or control (17.38 and 39.13%) group with significantly (P<0.05) shorter fertile oestrus interval in hormone treated groups as compared to antibiotics treated ones. Thus, all these regimes, and GnRH 0.02 mg and progesterone 500 mg in particular, are recommended to the practicing veterinarians for their judicious use in the treatment of repeat breeding problem in buffaloes.