Major advances in our understanding of nutritional influences on bovine health

The Journal of Dairy Science has increasingly become a primary outlet for scientific research concerning the health of the dairy cow and her calf. This paper attempts to highlight Journal of Dairy Science articles that have linked nutrition and nutritional strategies to reduce disease incidence on the dairy farm. Disorders associated with an animal's inability to cope with the demands of high production include diseases such as milk fever and ketosis, which clearly are related to the cow's inability to maintain bodily functions in the face of negative calcium or energy balance. Improved nutrition of the late gestation cow can reduce the incidence of some of these disorders. Susceptibility to infectious disease is dependent on the integrity of the immune system, and recent studies have shed light on nutritional factors that affect leukocyte function. Other disorders, such as retained fetal membranes, udder edema, and displacement of the abomasum are not easily categorized as to their cause, but nutritional strategies have been developed to help prevent these disorders as well.