Table 1. Main characteristics of the different populations studied.

	Healthy-early lactation	DCS-early lactation	DCS-late lactation	DCS-dry period
Number of animals	80	263	69	29
Multiparous	77 (96%)	249 (95%)	61 (88%)	28 (97%)
Primiparous	3 (4%)	14 (5%)	8 (12%)	1 (3%)
Parity	4 ± 2	4 ± 2	4 ± 2	5 ± 3a
	2-3-7	1-4-8	1-3-9	2-4-11
BCS	2.8 ± 0.3	3.4 ± 0.7b	2.6 ± 0.8c	3.0 ± 0.8
	2.5–3.0–3.5	2.0–3.5–4.5	1.2–2.5–4.0	2.0–3.0–4.5

Data represented as mean ± standard deviation and as 2.5–50–97.5 percentiles.

DCS = downer cow syndrome.

^a = significantly different from DCS cow in lactation (p<0.001);

^b = significantly different from healthy cows (p<0.001)

^c = significantly different from DCS cows in the pearly lactation period (p<0.001).