British Cattle Veterinary Association

The transition from the pregnant non-lactating to the non-pregnant lactating state is a perilous journey for dairy cows. There are several metabolic hazards that must be negotiated, the severity of which will depend on factors such as previous nutritional history, parity and genotype. Milk fever and subclinical hypocalcaemia are important metabolic diseases for multiparous dairy cows. However, unlike many of the disease events occurring in the transition period, milk fever is almost completely preventable. Therefore, it is incumbent upon all of us working with dairy herds to try and prevent milk fever, which will also greatly reduce the incidence and impact of subclinical hypocalcaemia. This paper reviews the impact of both milk fever and subclinical hypocalcaemia on transition cow health, production and fertility.