Association between prepartum nonesterified fatty acids serum concentrations and postpartum diseases in dairy cows

Abstract

The peripartum period is challenging for dairy cows. Changes occurring during this period increase susceptibility of dairy cows for metabolic and infectious diseases. Prepartum nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) serum concentrations have been shown to be associated with the risk of postpartum diseases in previous studies. The objective of the present study was to confirm the association between prepartum NEFA concentrations and postpartum diseases occurring during the first 30 days in milk (DIM). A secondary objective was to identify optimal thresholds allowing identification of animals at greater risk of postpartum diseases. Our hypothesis was that prepartum NEFA concentrations are higher in animals that subsequently develop postpartum diseases compared to healthy animals.