ABSTRACT
Modern cattle health management is basically based on prevention. This approach finds its natural justification in the fact that today it is necessary to guarantee the health of the consumer (through a proper and measured use of medicaments, in particular antibiotics and chemotherapy) and animal welfare. The economic aspect should not be underestimated: 70–75% of the cost of a disease depends on the lack of production. It, therefore, becomes natural to focus all health management on the prevention of pathologies. In the transition phase almost 70% of all cattle diseases are concentrated, therefore limiting the occurrence of diseases in this delicate period to a minimum is of fundamental importance. Equally important is the early diagnosis of sick cows, but above all the rapid identification of cows at risk. Electronic devices capable of creating a daily attention list of cows at risk of infirmity are available today. However, these systems can be completed or replaced by a careful observation of post-calving cows, integrating this clinical evaluation with collateral tests, which will allow determining which animals are at risk, also allowing them to establish a risk order.
