The use of risk assessment software to evaluate risk of subclinical ketosis in 7 large-scale dairy herds in Hungary

Abstract

Ketosis is a common metabolic disease during early lactation in dairy cows. It is seen worldwide and especially in cows who are bred and managed for high milk production. Subclinical ketosis is defined as a condition where there is no clinical sign, but an elevation in ketone bodies in the blood. Among others, the risk of clinical ketosis, left abomasal displacement and a decrease in milk yield is heightened in these cows. The aim of this thesis is to compare different types of monitoring systems in relations to revealing subclinical ketosis in large-scale dairy herds. We examined, how a recently developed ketosis risk assessment software (dRisk, Elanco, USA) can be used as a practical risk assessment monitoring tool in Hungary. Focusing on the method, how it was performed and the results.