Establishing biochemical thresholds for serum metabolites to predict single or multiple production diseases in crossbred transition dairy cows under tropical climatic conditions.

Prepartum NEFA, BHBA, glucose, and calcium thresholds reliably predict postpartum production disease in transition cows.

This prospective cohort study established biochemical threshold values for predicting postpartum production diseases in Karan Fries crossbred dairy cows under tropical conditions. Thirty-one cows were monitored from 6 weeks prepartum through 7 weeks postpartum, classified into three groups based on disease incidence: no production disease (n=10), single production disease (n=12), and multiple production diseases (n=9). Multiple production disease cows exhibited significantly elevated serum NEFA and BHBA levels with concurrent hypoglycemia and hypocalcemia during the prepartum period. ROC analysis identified specific threshold values: NEFA ≥0.29 mmol/L predicts single disease while ≥0.36 mmol/L predicts multiple diseases; BHBA ≥1.23 mmol/L at calving indicates single disease versus >1.40 mmol/L prepartum for multiple diseases; glucose ≤37.55 mg/dL predicts disease occurrence; calcium ≤6.60 mg/dL at calving and ≤6.35 mg/dL prepartum indicate increased risk. These metabolic biomarkers provide practical early warning indicators for implementing preventive interventions in tropical dairy herds.

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