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Reference intervals and variability of urinary traits in lactating Holstein cows
S Magro1, M Kreuzer2, G Niero1
1Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, 35020 Legnaro, Italy.
Journal of Dairy Science
|June 30, 2026
Summary
Spot urine analysis offers a practical alternative for monitoring dairy cow health. Specific gravity effectively normalizes urine concentration, aiding in the interpretation of urinary traits influenced by lactation stage and parity.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Animal Science
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Urinary composition monitoring is vital for assessing animal health, nutritional status, and renal function.
- Total urine collection is impractical in commercial farming; spot urine sampling is a feasible alternative.
- Normalization for urine concentration, using specific gravity, is crucial for accurate spot urine analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- Establish reference intervals for urinary traits in healthy lactating Holstein cows.
- Evaluate the impact of lactation stage and parity on urinary trait variability.
- Assess the relationships between urinary and milk traits.
Main Methods:
- Collected spot urine and milk samples from 1,271 Holstein cows across 17 farms.
- Analyzed urinary pH, specific gravity, urea, protein, creatinine, allantoin, uric acid, glucose, and protein-to-creatinine ratio.
- Used generalized linear mixed models and Pearson correlations to analyze data.
Main Results:
- Established reference intervals for all investigated urinary traits.
- Specific gravity was significantly affected by lactation stage and parity, and normalized other urinary traits.
- Stage of lactation influenced most urinary traits; parity affected creatinine. Strong correlations existed between urinary nitrogen compounds.
Conclusions:
- Spot urine sampling, with specific gravity normalization, is a valuable tool for dairy cow health monitoring.
- Lactation stage and parity are significant sources of variability in urinary traits.
- Provides foundational data for using spot urine analysis in diagnostics and herd management.
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