Dairy cows experience some degree of systemic inflammation around parturition, but excessive or dysregulated inflammation appears to play a role in inflammatory disease. As immune system activation reduces blood calcium, abundant extracellular calcium availability may promote or maintain inflammation, and hypocalcemia may be an adaptive response to inflammation. In this study, the possible role of calcium supplementation in postpartum systemic inflammation in healthy multiparous dairy cows has been investigated. The results of this study did not show evidence of a significant exacerbation of systemic inflammation by administering oral calcium supplementation to clinically healthy multiparous cows - an evidence-based evaluation of calcium supplementation is recommended.
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