Association between serum calcium dynamics around parturition and common postpartum diseases in dairy cows

The objective of this study was to compare periparturient serum Ca dynamics (CaDyn) in cows with and without diseases early lactation. enrolled 1,949 from a commercial dairy farm northern Germany. Blood samples were drawn 7 d before expected calving date on 0, 1, 3, after analyzed for concentration. Cows monitored clinical hypocalcemia (CH), ketosis, left displaced abomasum (LDA), retained placenta, acute puerperal metritis (APM), mastitis, pneumonia. To evaluate the association between CaDyn during transition period, repeated measures ANOVA first-order autoregressive covariance performed. Serum healthy (i.e., any aforementioned diseases) compared one (CH, APM, LDA, pneumonia), multiple (CH+, ketosis+, APM+, mastitis+, LDA+, pneumonia+). Separate models built primiparous multiparous cows. For cows, we evaluated ketosis (healthy vs. ketosis+) APM APM+). same Three additional CH CH+), mastitis mastitis+), or LDA LDA+). In concentrations APM+ significantly reduced 3 calving, ketosis+ but not calving. Multiparous had On 7, concentration CH+ 1 increased 0 Whereas mastitis+ Overall, LDA+ concentrations. Especially delayed onset (d 7) indicative development disease associated occurrence diseases. Future studies should whether are cause concomitant circumstance