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The purpose of this study was to determine whether haptoglobin (Hp) could be used as a predictive measure for metritis. Cattle were grouped into 3 health categories based on the condition of vaginal discharge and body temperature after calving: severe metritis (n=12), mild metritis (n=32), and healthy (n=23). Blood was collected and analyzed for Hp concentration on d −20±5, −6±2, −2±1, and d 0 relative to calving, and then every 3 d after calving until d +21. Cows with mild and severe metritis had greater Hp concentrations than healthy cows between d 0 and d +12. Mean (±SE) Hp concentrations peaked on d +3 in the cows with mild metritis (1.06±0.15g/L) and on d +6 in cows with severe metritis (1.62±0.47g/L). Mean concentrations for the healthy group were 0.58±0.12g/L and 0.31±0.08g/L on d +3 and d +6, respectively. Clinical signs of pathological discharge for the mildly and severely metritic cows did not …