Herd-based Testing for the Preventive Medicine Practice

摘要

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 ruminai pH (for subacute ruminai acidosis), blood beta-hydroxybutyrate (for subclinical ketosis), cowside ketone tests (for identif3dng 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).