Individual and herd ketone levels are commonly monitored in dairy cattle post-partum to identify individuals at-risk of metabolic disease and to identify potential improvements to management factors. The Precision Xtra handheld meter has been validated for use for beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) measurements post-calving as a convenient cow-side test for ketonemia. Recent research has identified BHBA cut points pre-partum associated with increased risk of post-partum disease, but at much lower cut-offs than those indicating hyperketonia after calving: 0.6 to 0.8 mmol/L in comparison to 1.0 to 1.4 mmol/L. The objective of the current research is to validate the handheld device, Precision Xtra, in the measurement of BHBA in whole blood against the gold standard method, laboratory evaluation of serum, to assess its diagnostic accuracy in detecting BHBA pre-calving in the range of 0.6 to 0.8 mmol/L.
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