Post-calving metabolic disorders pose management and economic frustrations to dairy producers. Minimizing post-calving disorders is crucial for making a smooth transition from dry and transition phases to productive lactations with high peak milk levels. Prevention of post-calving metabolic disorders begins with sound dry and transition cow nutritional programs and management practices, which include providing a clean, dry calving area and minimizing post-calving stress.

Ketosis is a metabolic disorder, which occurs predominantly during early lactation and typically is secondary to other problems, such as retained placenta, metritis, fat cow syndrome, mastitis, or displaced abomasum. These conditions can compromise dry matter intake, resulting in excessive body fat mobilization. As body fat mobilization accelerates after calving, the liver often becomes overloaded with fatty acids, resulting in excretion of ketone bodies. This incomplete metabolism of fats is manifested as ketosis. Typical clinical signs of ketosis include off feed, listlessness, decreased milk production, weight loss, and nervousness. Nutritional management, which can help prevent ketosis, includes:

• Optimal feed intake from the transition period through early lactation

• Avoidance of overweight cows at dry off

Ketosis treatment usually involves providing affected cows with a gluconeogenic precursor such as propylene glycol or calcium propionate. A realistic goal for herd incidence of ketosis is 3-5%.

Milk fever or clinical hypocalcemia generally occurs at or near calving. It is caused by the cow’s great demand for calcium at the onset of lactation combined with the inability of some cows to compensate for this need. Milk fever can also be triggered by ration imbalances or a high cation level in the prefresh diet. Typical signs of milk fever include staggering, muscular weakness, inability to rise, and a subnormal temperature. Milk fever also predisposes the animal to secondary problems, such as bloat, increased risk of ketosis, retained placenta, metritis, mastitis, and uterine prolapse. Prevention of milk fever involves ensuring all dietary requirements (calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D, and cation to anion ratio) are in balance. Milk fever treatment involves correcting the dietary calcium imbalance. A realistic goal for herd incidence of milk fever is 3-5%.

Displaced abomasum (DA) is a disorder of cattle in which the abomasum becomes distended with gas, fluid, or both, and shifts to an abnormal position. Generally, the abomasum shifts to the left. Most DAs occur within the first two weeks of calving with the predisposing factor being an inappropriate transition from the prefresh diet to a high-grain, early lactation diet. The DA can be secondary to other metabolic problems, such as ketosis or fat cow syndrome. Clinical signs of a DA are off feed, reduced milk production, listlessness, reduced bowel movements, and appearance of general discomfort. The cow’s temperature is usually normal. Prevention can be accomplished by providing appropriate management and dietary conditions conducive to a smooth transition from prefresh to early lactation diets. Maintaining consistent dry matter intake during this period is crucial. Treatment for a DA usually involves surgery. A realistic goal for herd incidence of DA is 3-5%.

Retained placenta (RP) is a retention of the afterbirth, which can result in metritis (uterine infection) and/or infertility causing delayed conception. From a dietary perspective, ensuring adequate amounts of vitamins A, D, and E, and selenium are provided in the diet is crucial. From a management perspective, it is essential to provide a clean, dry calving area and to be judicious in manual extraction of afterbirth to prevent entrance of bacterial organisms into the reproductive tract which could cause metritis. Stress and a compromised immune status are thought to play a significant role in predisposing an animal to retained placenta. A realistic goal for herd incidence of retained placenta and metritis is 5-7%.

Fat cow syndrome occurs when cows come into early lactation in excessive body condition (3.75+ BCS). Feed intake, which is already compromised in early lactation, is low for fat cows. This scenario may potentially result in a host of metabolic disorders. The goal is to dry cows off in an acceptable body condition (3.5 BCS) and maintain a body condition score of 3.5 throughout the early dry and transition periods.

The cost of post-calving metabolic disorders can be significant when one considers treatment costs, labor costs associated with treating the animal, and the subsequent losses in milk production and reproductive efficiency that can occur. The economic impact of post-calving metabolic disorders is illustrated in Table 1. The “domino effect” (one metabolic problem can lead to other problems) can compound the economic seriousness of metabolic disorders.

Table 1 Economic Impact of Post-Calving Metabolic Disorders
	Milk Fever	Retained Placenta	Ketosis	Left Displaced Abomasum
Deaths, %	4	1.5	0.5	2
Culls, %	5	6	5	8
Delayed Conception, days	13	15	10	12
Discarded Milk, lb	0	330	0	308
Lost Milk, lb	286	550	506	880
Average Cost, $	181	206	151	312
Source: C. Guard, Cornell University, 1998.

 Prevention and treatment of post-calving metabolic disorders requires sound nutritional management, record-keeping of problems (such as when problem occurred), and stringent post-calving protocols. Remember the old adage, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Tracking the incidence of disorders can provide invaluable information to the herd nutritionist and veterinarian in devising prevention strategies. The Dairy Solutions^® Team of experts can provide additional information on the causes, prevention, and treatment of post-calving disorders.