Hyperketonemia in early lactation dairy cattle: component and total cost per case

Abstract Text: The purpose was to develop deterministic economic models to estimate the costs associated with: 1) the component cost per case of hyperketonemia (HYK), and 2) the total cost per case of HYK when accounting for costs related to HYK-attributed diseases in dairy cows.  Data from current literature was used to model the incidence and risks of HYK, displaced abomasa (DA), and metritis, disease associations, and milk production, culling, and reproductive outcomes.  The component cost of HYK was estimated based on 1,000 calvings per year, the incidence of HYK in primiparous and multiparous animals, the percent of animals receiving clinical treatment, the costs associated with diagnostics, therapeutics, labor, and death loss, and the costs of future milk production losses, future culling losses, and reproduction losses.  Costs attributable to DA and metritis were estimated based on the incidence of each disease in the first 30 days in milk, the number of cases of each disease attributable to HYK, the costs associated with diagnostics, therapeutics, discarded milk during treatment and the withdrawal period, veterinary service (DA only), death loss, and the costs of future milk production loses, future culling losses, and reproduction losses.  The component cost per case of HYK was estimated at $127 and $106 for primiparous and multiparous animals, respectively; the average component cost per case of HYK was estimated to be $112.  Thirty one percent of the average component cost of HYK was due to future reproductive losses, 28% to death loss, 22% to future milk production losses, 13% to future culling losses, 3% to therapeutics, 2% to labor, and 1% to diagnostics.  The total cost per case of HYK was estimated at $361 and $247 for primiparous and multiparous animals, respectively; the average total cost per case of HYK was $279.  Forty percent of the average total cost of HYK was due to the component cost of HYK, 32% to the cost attributable to metritis, and 28% to the cost attributable to DA.  The high total cost of HYK at reported incidences of 40 to 60% highlights the importance of appropriate transition cow nutrition and management in order to decrease the impact of HYK on both a disease and economic basis.  In addition, these estimates can be used to model the cost-benefit of various preventative and treatment interventions.  

Keywords: dairy cow, hyperketonemia, component cost, total cost