Herd-based Testing for the Preventive Medicine Practice
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21423/aabppro20054816Keywords:
metabolic, nutritional disease, herd-based data, ruminal pH, blood β-hydroxybutyrate, ketone tests, on-esterified fatty acids, blood calcium, urinary pHAbstract
Strategies have been developed to diagnose and monitor key metabolic and nutritional diseases in dairy herds. Veterinary technicians can play a key role in gathering and managing the herd-based data needed. Tests that can be used include ruminal pH (for subacute ruminal acidosis), blood β-hydroxybutyrate (for subclinical ketosis), cowside ketone tests (for identifying individual cases of ketosis), blood non-esterified fatty acids (for evaluating energy balance on pre-fresh cows), blood calcium (for parturient hypocalcemia) and urinary pH (for monitoring acidification of pre-fresh cows to prevent hypocalcemia).