The relationship between different blood parameters as criteria for metabolic disorders and the milk cell count in dairy cows
Lotthammer, K.H.; Boehnke, H.J.; Morawietz, M.
Deutsche Tierärztliche Wochenschrift 95(9): 379-384
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0341-6593 PMID: 3053116 Document Number: 317684
In a 2-year field study on 89 cows (including 27 primiparous), with 103 lactations and 70% abnormal milk cell counts, 409 blood samples collected between 6 weeks prior to and 10-12 weeks after parturition were assayed for urea, glucose, bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH), calcium and ketones. The milk cell count in individual samples was the criterion of the clinical and subclinical state of the udder, 250 000 cells/ml being considered the critical value. In the first 6 lactation weeks high bilirubin and/or ketone blood levels, subclinical liver dysfunction indicated by increased AST and/or GLDH values and reduced calcium serum levels were associated with significantly higher milk cell counts. A correlation was also found between abnormal blood values before parturition and the milk cell count during the subsequent lactation. Those metabolic conditions attributable to an unbalanced diet reduced the natural immunity against the causative agents of mastitis.