“…The following clinical complexes were generated for statistical analysis: rectal body temperature, respiratory, circulatory, and digestive system, ketonuria [evaluated by detection of acetoacetic acid in urine samples (Ketostix, Bayer Vital GmbH), for sample collection time points, see next section], udder, genital tract (calving ease, calving injuries, retained placenta, metritis, endometritis), locomotion apparatus, claws, skin, lymph nodes, blood sampling (jugular vein) and biopsy site, and treatments [antibiotics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, gynecological medication and other treatments (e.g., other drugs, surgery)]. The clinical findings were assigned to the different complexes and evaluated using a scoring system (one score per complex and animal for the trials period) for general examination for different organ systems: 0 = no abnormality observed; 1 = abnormality observed once, but evaluated as not requiring treatment; 2 = abnormality observed more than once throughout the trial, but evaluated as not requiring treatment; 3 = abnormality entailed treatment (similar to Kretschmann et al, 2020); displaced abomasum: yes/no; treatments: 0 = no, 1 = yes, once/one, 2 = yes, several treatments; clinical ketosis: yes/no; calving ease: 1 = easy, 2 = medium, 3 = heavy. The clinical scores were evaluated per trait and as total sum (the higher the sum, the more the animal was clinically affected).…”