Ketosis measurements in veterinary practice

Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of sequential measurements of fresh cows for ketosis. Two Dutch farms provided the data for nearly four consecutive years of testing all cows with the Precision Xtra test. There was no reduction of ketosis seen during this time. Lowering the energy level of the rations for the dry cows was effective on the B farm. There was a lower incidence of ketosis seen on the A farm during the grazing season. Testing of all fresh cows for ketosis was not useful for evaluating transition management due to frequent changes in this study.