Inner body temperature is the gold standard for disease detection

A change in body temperature is the first sign of the most common production diseases in dairy cows and is therefore considered the gold standard for reliable early detection. Continuous temperature monitoring with smaXtec allows you to detect diseases even before rumination decreases or external signs are visible. This head start makes body temperature by far the most valuable parameter you can use to monitor and ensure herd health.

Inner body temperature is the most important vital sign for dairy farmers to detect diseases in their animals. Especially in the critical phase around calving and in case of any health abnormality, the body temperature should be measured as a precaution. (1) smaXtec detects diseases reliably based on this parameter, because the most common production diseases on dairy farms involve a minimal change in body temperature as they are developing. These include high-risk and cost-intensive inflammatory diseases such as mastitis or metritis, but also metabolic disorders such as ketosis or milk fever, which can also have severe consequences.

Why is body temperature the best parameter for health monitoring?

In a scientific study in 2013, a team of researchers was able to prove that diseases such as metritis, mastitis, lameness and pneumonia lead to an increase in the animal’s body temperature above normal. In doing so, the study authors were able to demonstrate that more than two-thirds of cows showed temperature elevations up to 4 days prior to the diagnosis of clinical mastitis. (2)

For reliable health monitoring of dairy cows, body temperature as a vital value is highly diagnostic, because it changes earlier than any other parameter used to monitor dairy cows. The decrease in ruminating activity often occurs as a result of the temperature increase, as a research team was able to show in a scientific study in 2007: For example, cows consume a lot of energy in their bodies when they get a fever - their metabolism increases by 13% when body temperature rises by 1° C. This energy deficit could contribute to a subsequent decrease in energy-intensive bodily functions such as rumination. (3)

Precise temperature monitoring directly inside the reticulum

Inner body temperature in the rumen is 0.5 to 1 degree C higher than a rectal measurement, depending on the lactation phase. However, it correlates with the temperature measured at other locations and is therefore particularly suitable for continuous health monitoring. With the unique measurement accuracy of ±0.01° C, smaXtec measures inner body temperature at this unique position with the smaXtec bolus around the clock and detects diseases as they arise.

In doing so, smaXtec not only assesses the temperature based on predefined standard values, but also records the individual normal temperature for each animal. The reason: The normal body temperature varies from animal to animal and changes in dairy cows depending on age and lactation phase. The intelligent smaXtec system therefore creates an individual temperature profile for each animal and can precisely detect and evaluate even the slightest deviations from normal temperature. As soon as the body temperature changes significantly, you are notified immediately and can take necessary steps right away - well before the ruminant activity changes.

If you want to learn more on what causes and consequences a changed body temperature can have and which advantages the continuous temperature measurement with smaXtec offer can offer you, read our blog article on the subject of measuring fever in dairy cows

How do you benefit from disease detection with smaXtec in practice?

The following practical examples use the temperature curves from smaXtec Web to show the advantage smaXtec gives farmers in disease detection.

Easier temperature monitoring for fresh cows and when it’s hot outside

Freshly lactating cows are being closely monitored on most farms. But with a larger herd, the time required for regular temperature monitoring of the animals increases considerably. The complete documentation of the temperature curve by smaXtec helps them to detect even short fever episodes, which are all too easily overlooked, even if you measure fever 2-3 times a day. In addition, long-term temperature monitoring also makes it possible to detect diseases that develop at a later stage of lactation or during the dry period and transit phase.

If the temperature drops after calving, this may indicate a metabolic disease such as milk fever (parturient paresis), ketosis or abomasal displacement. You should also pay attention to the cow if her body temperature rises, as values above 39.4° C may indicate infection or inflammation that needs to be treated as soon as possible to prevent milk loss and failure. (4)

Temperature monitoring truly plays a key role in dairy cow health monitoring. External influencing factors such as heat and high humidity can have a strong impact on the body temperature and surface temperature of dairy cows - with negative consequences for the productivity and health of the animals. You can read about how dairy cows are affected by heat and heat stress in our blog post and learn how to keep an eye on barn climate with the smaXtec Climate Sensor.

Noticeable advantage through intelligent health monitoring with smaXtec

With intelligent health alerts sent directly to your smartphone or PC, you can detect diseases earlier and thus treat them early, resulting in:

• Less severe and shorter disease progression
• Reduction in antibiotics usage
• No waiting period
• No performance drop
• A healthier and longer-living herd!

You also want to use the smaXtec Health System on your farm and benefit from earliest possible disease detection?

Sources:

(1) https://www.milchpraxis.com/fiebermessen-im-rinderstall/

(2) Adams, A. E./Olea-Popelka, F. J./Roman-Muniz, I. N. (2013): Using temperature-sensing reticular boluses to aid in the detection of production diseases in dairy cows, in: J. Dairy Sc. 96: p. 1549-1555

(3) Hänninen, L./Kaihilahti, J./Taponen, S./Hovinen, M./Pastell, M./Pyörälä, S. (2007): How behaviour predicts acute endotoxin mastitis in dairy cows

(4) https://www.milchpraxis.com/fresh-cow-monitoring-die-frischabkalber-im-blick/