title: Potential risk indicators of retained placenta and other diseases in multiparous cows.
abstract: Retained placenta (RP), defined as fetal membranes not being expelled within 24 h after calving, is a costly disease in multiparous dairy cows that has been linked to immune suppression, infections, elevated lipid mobilization, and depleted status of antioxidants including α-tocopherol, and that increases the risk of other diseases (OD) in early lactation. Early detection of cows at increased risk of developing RP, OD, or both in early lactation could improve treatment success and result in improved milk production and reproductive performance. To identify risk indicators of RP, OD, or both, we used a nested case-control design and compared multiparous dairy cows that developed RP (n=32) with cows that remained healthy (H; n=32) or cows that developed OD (n=32) in early lactation. We compared peripartal body condition score (BCS) as well as serum concentrations of α-tocopherol, metabolites [β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA), cholesterol, glucose, nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), and urea N], haptoglobin, and macrominerals (i.e., calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus) on d -21, -14, -7, -3, -1, 0, 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, and 49 postpartum. In addition, average serum concentrations were calculated for each cow for the last 3 wk prepartum, for 3 and 2 wk prepartum combined, for the last week prepartum, and for the morning after calving and compared between groups. The RP cows had lower BCS than the H or OD cows until 2 wk postpartum. During the prepartal periods, RP and OD cows had lower α-tocopherol concentrations (corrected or not for cholesterol concentration) and higher NEFA and BHBA concentrations than H cows. Thus, lower prepartal BCS could be an early predictor for RP risk, and lower α-tocopherol concentrations and higher NEFA and BHBA concentrations could be early predictors for disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences, College of Agriculture, Oregon State University, Corvallis 97331-4802.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.affiliation: School of Biological and Population Health Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis 97331-4802.
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Fadden
authors.affiliation: School of Biological and Population Health Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis 97331-4802; Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis 97331-6512.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Traber
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences, College of Agriculture, Oregon State University, Corvallis 97331-4802; Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis 97331-6512. Electronic address: gerd.bobe@oregonstate.edu.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bobe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis / Q000662:veterinary*; D001823:Body Composition; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D009922:Oregon / Q000453:epidemiology; D010298:Parity; D058725:Peripartum Period; D018457:Placenta, Retained / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: biomarker; dairy cow; disease; retained placenta; α-tocopherol