Shielding Dairy Cows from Heat Stress:  
Why Choosing the Right Antioxidant Matters

Heat stress (HS) is not only about panting and lower intakes - it is a systemic oxidative and inflammatory challenge. During HS, respiration rate, core temperature, stress hormones, immune responses and blood markers of inflammation rise, and metabolic fuel is reallocated away from production, resulting in greater maintenance requirements and increased heath risk. 

Moreover, decreased intakes mean that there is a shortage of antioxidants to fight the increase in oxidative stress (OS) and inflammation. These metabolic changes also have long-term consequences on offspring performance when they are exposed to HS in utero. While heat abatement strategies such as fans and soakers remain the first line of defense against HS, ensuring you have the right source of selenium (Se), as well as methionine (Met) and vitamin E is essential to support the redox system and strengthen endogenous defenses to fight OS, helping to maintain productivity and health of dairy cows. 

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