title: Undertaking nutritional diagnostic investigations.
abstract: Veterinarians serving dairy clients can provide systematic investigations of nutritional problems. The foundation of a nutritional investigation is a careful evaluation of the diet being consumed by the cows. This information is supplemented by herd health and production records, evaluation of the cows (particularly locomotion and body condition scoring), and biological tests. All data collected during a herd investigation contain inherent error. Diagnostic conclusions from the herd investigation are most plausible when information collected from different sources all indicates similar conclusions.
authors.affiliation: Food Animal Production Medicine Section, Department of Medical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2015 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA. Electronic address: groetzel@wisc.edu.
authors.forename: Garrett R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Oetzel
mesh_terms: D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003612:Dairying / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: Dairy cows; Diet evaluation; Nutrition diagnostic investigations; Nutrition troubleshooting