Lab Tests Every Dairy Farmer Should Know About

A dairy farmer should know six lab tests: the mastitis test, the brucellosis test, the FMD (foot-and-mouth disease) test, the tick fever panel, the pregnancy test and the fecal worm egg count. Each one answers a different question and needs a different sample, so choosing the test that fits the problem helps your vet get a useful result.

Match the test to the problem

Start with what you see in the animal or the herd.

• Clotted or watery milk, a hot udder, or falling milk yield: think of the mastitis test.
• Abortion, afterbirth not passed, or repeated breeding failure: think of the brucellosis test.
• Fever, drooling, mouth blisters and limping: think of FMD, and tell your vet first.
• Fever, weakness, pale or yellow gums and eyes, tick bites: think of the tick fever panel.
• Is she pregnant? Think of the pregnancy test.
• Poor growth, rough coat, loose motions or a pot belly in a calf: think of the fecal worm egg count.

Many signs overlap, so your vet may ask for more than one test. A lab result is read by a registered veterinarian together with the animal's signs and history.

Tests are used in two ways. For a sick animal, they help your vet look for the cause. For a herd that looks healthy, screening can help find hidden problems such as brucellosis, hidden mastitis and worms.

Udder and milk: the mastitis test

Mastitis is infection and swelling of the udder. The mastitis test has two parts. The CMT is a quick score that shows how many cells are in each quarter's milk. The somatic cell count measures those cells in the lab. Together they can help find udder infection, including hidden infection where the milk looks normal.

Sample: fresh milk, quarter by quarter, in clean separate bottles. Read the full guide: Mastitis in Cows and Buffaloes: CMT and Somatic Cell Count.

Breeding and herd safety: brucellosis and pregnancy

Brucellosis is a bacterial disease that causes abortion. It can also spread to people through raw milk and birth fluids. The RBPT and ELISA blood tests look for antibodies, which are proteins the body makes against a germ. Sample: serum, the clear liquid from clotted blood. Read more: Brucellosis in Cattle and Buffalo: Why Herd Testing Matters.

The pregnancy test measures progesterone, a hormone, or PSPB, a protein made by the placenta. It can help your vet check pregnancy early. Sample: serum. Read more: Pregnancy Diagnosis in Cows and Buffaloes: Progesterone and PSPB.

Fever and infectious disease: FMD and tick fever

FMD is a very contagious viral disease with fever, mouth blisters and lameness. It is a notifiable disease, so tell your vet and the local animal husbandry department if you suspect it. PCR can help detect the virus in blister material, and ELISA looks for antibodies in serum. Read more: Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD): Signs and Lab Confirmation.

Tick fever is the common name for diseases spread by ticks. In cattle and buffaloes the main ones are theileriosis, babesiosis and anaplasmosis. They can cause fever, weakness, pale or yellow gums and less milk. The Tick Fever Panel for Cattle & Buffalo (Theileriosis, Babesiosis, Anaplasmosis) uses EDTA blood (blood in a tube with a preservative that stops clotting) and a blood smear (a thin film of blood on a glass slide). The lab checks the smear under the microscope for the parasites.

Worms and general health

The fecal worm egg count examines fresh dung under the microscope for worm eggs. It can help show a worm problem in animals with poor growth, a rough coat or loose motions. Sample: fresh dung. Read more: Fecal Worm Egg Count for Cattle and Buffalo: When and Why.

Routine blood tests give a wider picture:

• CBC counts the blood cells and may show anaemia (too few red blood cells) or infection.
• The blood parasite smear looks for parasites in the blood.
• Calcium and phosphorus are minerals that matter for milk, bones and breeding.
• Total protein, albumin and globulin show the protein status of the blood.

Your vet may combine these into a routine herd health check.

Whatever the test, use clean containers and label each one with the animal's name or tag number and the date. Keep the sample cool and bring it to the lab soon. Sample collection is free anywhere in Bhopal, and samples from other districts can be sent to the lab. Routine tests are normally reported the same day or within 24 hours. For PCR, ELISA and other special tests, the reporting time is confirmed when you book.

When to talk to your vet

Talk to your vet before you choose tests for a sick animal. Your vet can tell you which sample to collect and when.

Call your vet at once for these signs:

• mouth blisters, drooling and limping, which may be FMD
• a cow that cannot stand after calving. Do not wait for a lab report
• high fever with weakness, or red or dark urine
• an abortion
• bloody or watery milk with a swollen udder

Ask your vet how often your herd should be screened, because the answer depends on your farm and animals. A lab report is not a diagnosis on its own. A registered veterinarian reads it together with the animal's signs and history, and decides on treatment or further tests.