Livestock

Cattle Metabolic Disease Prevention: Welfare Evidence 2026

Metabolic diseases including milk fever, ketosis and grass tetany cause significant welfare impacts in cattle that are largely preventable through evidence-based nutritional and management protocols.

Key Facts

Milk fever (hypocalcaemia) affects around 5-8% of dairy cows and is the most common metabolic disease
Subclinical hypocalcaemia affects a much higher proportion with fewer obvious signs but significant welfare impact
Grass tetany (hypomagnesaemia) is a rapidly fatal condition primarily affecting spring-grazing cows
Ketosis increases risk of displaced abomasum, liver disease and impaired immune function

Welfare Considerations

Metabolic diseases cause acute and chronic welfare impacts from weakness, recumbency, reduced feed intake, impaired immunity and secondary conditions. Prevention is far more effective than treatment and is primarily achieved through nutrition management. Welfare priorities include transition cow nutrition optimisation, strategic supplementation of calcium and magnesium, monitoring body condition scores, and systematic BHBA monitoring for subclinical ketosis.

What You Can Do

Implement a structured transition cow nutrition programme under veterinary nutritional guidance
Supplement cows with oral calcium at calving as a preventive strategy in high-risk herds
Supplement spring grazing cows with magnesium to prevent grass tetany during lush growth periods
Use BHBA testing to identify subclinical ketosis and intervene before clinical disease develops