Fetal Disease and Abortion: Diagnosis and Causes

Reproductive failure is a significant problem in breeding management that arises from physiological, anatomical, inherited, and infectious causes. Fetal loss in a herd may be divided into four epidemiologic presentations, which include (i) baseline losses, (ii) endemic losses that exceed baseline and occur consistently and chronically, (iii) epidemic losses characterized by high losses in a specific time frame, and (iv) fetal losses that are confused with conception failure or neonatal losses. Mummification is the process of progressive dehydration and compaction of a sufficiently mature dead fetus in utero. Causes of abortion include embryonic death, meconium and arthrogryposis.