Kim Schoonmaker, Contributing Editor   |   Updated: February 21, 2012

A fresh cow’s calcium status may help predict her risk of developing metritis, according to research from the University of Florida.

During the study, cows diagnosed with subclinical hypocalcemia, or “milk fever,” (defined as serum calcium less than 8.59 mg/dL in at least one day in the first three days after calving) had lower blood neutrophil concentrations, impaired neutrophil function on day 1 and 3 postpartum and increased incidence of metritis compared to cows with normal blood calcium levels.

The authors say that in order to markedly reduce the incidence of metritis, maintain serum calcium above 8.60 mg/dL during the first three days after calving. They say that metritis also predisposed cows to clinical endometritis.

Source: Proceedings of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners Annual (2011) Conference

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