Propaedeutic and Therapeutic Practices Used for Retained Fetal Membranes by Rural European Veterinary Practitioners

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Propaedeutic and therapeutic practices..

The study covers an important subject and is worth being published. There are things to add / correct, though.

Please change throughout the whole manuscript:

-          Veterinarian instead of vet

-          Examination instead of exam

-          Please carefully check how to use the word  respectively: it can be used at the end of a sentence after the reader knows the options – please correct throughout manuscript  

-          Please replace throughout manuscript PGF2a with PGF2a

-          please indicate always, sometimes never throughout text in quotations marks or italics

Title: could be changed to Diagnostic and therapeutic practices used for retained fetal membranes by European rural practitioners

Data analysis: as the study is probably not representative, the reviewer recommends only descriptive statistics

 

Mat&Meth: please define percentage always, sometimes, never

Mat & Meth: please indicate threshold for fever

Mat & Meth: please describe why these countries were selected

 

Page 1, line 18: replace propaedeutic with diagnostic

Page 1, line 21: interspace before our; confirms

Page 1, line 23 and 35: replace antibioresistance with antibiotic resistance

Page 1, line 29: has

Page 1, line 31: first time write out the word: intrauterine (IU)

Page 1, line 32: oxytocin

Keywords: replace dairy cattle, beef cattle by cattle and propaedeutic by diagnostic

Page 2, line 45: delete rate; reproductive performances

Page 2, line 49: …on 50 citations .. but you indicate only two ?? explain

Page 2, line 70: [21] Dyrendahl is from 1977 – I’d delete this reference

Page 3, line 117: % in countries = 100.1%, please correct

Page 3, line 124: please change sign, I suppose its < 6h? Then indicate ranges 6-12h etc so that categories are distinct

Page 3, line 126: Practitioners indicate that

Page 3, line 135: write out C-section

Page 4: RFM definition Table 1: compare to text and see comment for page 3, line 124

Page 4, line 143: antiseptic solution (AS) (30.6%) or…

Page 4, line 155: sentence unclear, is it meant: very few veterinarians treat the animals if the animals do not present fever

Page 5, line 162: …the most often used..

Table 3: collagenase used intrauterine or directly to umbilical artery? Which kind of uterotonic oral solution?

Page 7, line 217: does not

Page 7, line 231. Ref [37] 93.3% of cows with fever were treated with parenteral antibiotics in >80% of the cases

Page 8, line 275 and further: please delete the whole passage on puerperal metritis

Page 9, line 300: replace prevent with reduce the incidence

Page 9, lines 301-307: please mention, that Ca-infusion is very often not a treatment of RFM, but a frequent illness post partum in dairy cattle, coincident, mostly not causal

Page 9, line 312: reference missing

 

 

 

 

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Do not use abbreviations (exam, vet) and write words out the first time you use them (intrauterine, C-section); check the use and correct place of the word "respectively" within a sentence.

Author Response

Reviewer1:

 

Dear Sir/madame,

We are very grateful for the time you gave to carefully consider our manuscript. All the comments you made were taken into consideration. Please, find bellow our answers.

 

Comment 1	Page 1, line 18: replace propaedeutic with diagnostic
Answer	The word was replaced. See line 18 of the revised manuscript.
Comment 2	Page 1, line 21: interspace before our; confirms
Answer	Interspace was added. See page 1 line 21 of the revised manuscript.
Comment 3	Page 1, line 23 and 35: replace antibioresistance with antibiotic resistance
Answer	It was replaced. See line 23 of the revised manuscript.
Comment 4	Page 1, line 29: has
Answer	It was replaced. See line 29 of the revised manuscript.
Comment 5	Page 1, line 31: first time write out the word: intrauterine (IU)
Answer	It was replaced. See line 31 of the revised manuscript.
Comment 6	Page 1, line 31: first time write out the word: intrauterine (IU)
Answer	It was replaced. See line 31 of the revised manuscript.
Comment 7	Page 1, line 32: oxytocin
Answer	It was replaced. See line 32 of the revised manuscript.
Comment 8	Keywords: replace dairy cattle, beef cattle by cattle and propaedeutic by diagnostic
Answer	Answer: It was replaced. See keywords of the revised manuscript.
Comment 9	Page 2, line 45: delete rate; reproductive performances
Answer	It was deleted. See page 2 line 45 of the revised manuscript.
Comment 10	Page 2, line 49: …on 50 citations .. but you indicate only two ?? explain
Answer	The frequency of RFM has been reviewed by Kelton et al. in 1998, we have add the reference.
Comment 11	Page 2, line 70: [21] Dyrendahl is from 1977 – I’d delete this reference
Answer	Attending the neagtaive effect of such practice, we have preferred to suppress this reference.
Comment 12	Page 3, line 117: % in countries = 100.1%, please correct
Answer	It was verified that Belgium has 20,6% of respondents and not 20,7. It is now 100%. See page 3, line 117
Comment 13	Page 3, line 124: please change sign, I suppose its < 6h? Then indicate ranges 6-12h etc so that categories are distinct
Answer	It was corrected. See page 3, line 123-124 of the revised manuscript.
Comment 14	Page 3, line 126: Practitioners indicate that
Answer	It was corrected. See page 3, line 125 of the revised manuscript.
Comment 15	Page 3, line 135: write out C-section
Answer	It was written out as recommended. See line 134 of the revised manuscript
Comment 16	Page 4: RFM definition Table 1: compare to text and see Comment for page 3, line 124
Answer	Text was corrected according to the table. See lines 123-124 of the revised manuscript
Comment 17	Page 4, line 143: antiseptic solution (AS) (30.6%) or…
Answer	“Or” was deleted. See line 142 of the revised manuscript.
Comment 18	Page 4, line 155: sentence unclear, is it meant: very few veterinarians treat the animals if the animals do not present fever
Answer	The expression was replaced by: “Most veterinarians treat cows with RFM even if animals do not present fever”. See line 154 of the revised manuscript.
Comment 19	Page 5, line 162: …the most often used..
Answer	It was added. See line
Comment 20	Page 5, line 162: …the most often used..
Answer	It was added. See line 161 of the revised manuscript
Comment 21	Table 3: collagenase used intrauterine or directly to umbilical artery? Which kind of uterotonic oral solution?
Answer	Collagenase use in the umbilical artery has been added This proposal (uterotonic solution) has been deleted
Comment 22	Page 7, line 217: does not
Answer	It was replaced. See line 216 of the revised manuscript
Comment 23	Page 7, line 231. Ref [37] 93.3% of cows with fever were treated with parenteral antibiotics in >80% of the cases
Answer	The information with the reference ware added. Please see lines 233-234 of the revised manuscript
Comment 24	Page 8, line 275 and further: please delete the whole passage on puerperal metritis
Answer	The passage about puerperal metritis was deleted. See lines 275-283 of the revised manuscript
Comment 25	Page 9, line 300: replace prevent with reduce the incidence
Answer	It was replaced. See line 296 of the revised manuscript
Comment 26	Page 9, lines 301-307: please mention, that Ca-infusion is very often not a treatment of RFM, but a frequent illness post partum in dairy cattle, coincident, mostly not causal
Answer	It was mentioned: “Also, hypocalcemia is a separate post-partum pathology that can coincide with RFM”. Please see lines 304-305 of the revised manuscript.
Comment 27	Page 9, line 312: reference missing
Answer	The reference was moved to the end of the sentence. Please see line 310 of the revised manuscript

 

 

 

Other Comments:

 

Comment	Do not use abbreviations (exam, vet)
Answer	Abbreviations were replaced by the whole words. Please see the manuscript
Comment	Write words out the first time you use them (intrauterine, C-section)
Answer	Words were written out the first time.
Comment	Check the use and correct place of the word "respectively" within a sentence
Answer	Done

 

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Well presented and expounded article, good research, good conclusion.

 

The scientific work is well expressed, well written, and well articulated. The research topic covers very frequent issues in the field clinic and addresses the major methods used and explained in both textbooks and bibliographical references. Very interesting is the statistical analysis and results regarding the ages of the veterinarians examined, this factor could be a cue for future research, could put attention on different practices over the years. the bibliographical references are comprehensive,the conclusions reflect the results obtained and are supported adequately.

The work represents areas of interest and study for buiatrists in the field.

Author Response

Reviewer 2:

Dear Sir/madame,

We are very grateful for the time you give to carefully consider our manuscript.

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Authors made a survey to describe how rural bovine practitioners act when diagnosing and treating a fetal membranes retention. 

In my humble opinion, this study presented a non-validated survey, which difficults its impact in science. Moreover, they did not apply normality test, nor correlation ones. 

Moreover, it has been completely unrespectful to present data in the way they did: using "," in stead of "." in numbers, different formats in tables, bibliography has a lot of mistakes and it is wrongly referenced throughout the manuscript, they use acronyms without first explanation, etc. 

Publishing scientific results must be rigorous and correct. Besides, experimental design must be appropriate. 

I think that results could be interesting but authors must work to improve the manuscript. However, I wonder if this data are in line with Animals scope.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Moderate editing of English language required

Author Response

Reviewer 3:

Dear Sir/madame,

We are very grateful for the time you gave to carefully consider our manuscript. All the comments you made were taken into consideration. Please, find bellow our answers.

 

Comment	This study presented a non-validated survey:
Answer	In fact the survey lacks the validation, because it was done in many languages to cover the different countries and wanted to survey the maximum number of veterinarians in as many countries as possible.
Comment	normality test, nor correlation ones
Answer	Concerning the statistical analysis. We just described the practices as it is the main aspect of this review. Moreover, we used ordinal logistic regression to study the influence of different demographic factors on veterinarians’ practices diagnosing and treating this pathology.
Comment	Using "," in stead of "." in numbers,
Answer	All "," were replaced by "." in numbers
Comment	English
Answer	Improvements were applied to language

Round 2

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Authors did not accomplish my suggestions, they just had a short answer for each. Nor even the ones of format or bibliography...

 

I still thinking that manuscript should be improved substantially prior to publication.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

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