A major challenge for dairy producers and veterinarians is to maintain healthy dairy cows. Dairy cows are most likely to become ill during the transition period around calving (i.e., 3 wk before to 3 wk after calving). These illnesses include metabolic diseases such as hypocalcaemia and ketosis, infectious diseases such as mastitis and metritis, and diseases in the hoof and leg that cause lameness. These diseases are costly to the producer and cause poor welfare for the afflicted cow; thus they are of high relevance to the dairy industry (von Keyserlingk et al., 2009).
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