Metabolismo minerale nel periparto di bovine da latte: monitoraggio del profilo minerale delle urine e valutazione del rischio ipocalcemico

Abstract

Milk fever and subclinical hypocalcemia are the most important macromineral disorders that affect transition dairy cows. It is important to realize that among all the production diseases experienced by dairy cattle, milk fever is related to the occurrence of many other problems, the timing of which would suggest that milk fever is at least one of the main predisposing factors that leads to an early-lactation cow disorder. Urinalysis is one of the most useful diagnostic tools to monitor animal health as it is rapid, cheap, and readily available in routine practice. It is an essential component in the diagnosis of urogenital diseases, and it is also a major tool in the diagnosis of metabolic diseases. Urinalysis allows to evaluate the state of mineralization of the cow, the risk of peripartum pathologies and its state of metabolic acidosis or alkalosis. The urine is therefore the result of the hormonal functioning put in place by the body and it offers a dynamic assessment of what it’s really happening inside the cow organism. Specifically, the urine are used to evaluate the risk of peripartum pathologies, the effectiveness of mineral supplementation, to control the adequacy of the anion diet and to estimate whether the protocols applied in pre/post-partum are correct. In this case report, urinalysis was applied as a source of information on the state of mineralization of transition cows. It allowed to diagnose a mineral imbalance and, based on the results obtained, the mineral sources and supply were modified leading to a complete restoration of the cows mineral homeostasis.