The peripartal period in the dairy cow is a crucial time influencing future fertility and milk production. Postpartal diseases like bovine mastitis can result in major economic set back in the dairy industry. Based on the hypothesis that postpartal diseases are most likely due to immune dysfunction, there is a need for the identification of candidates involved in the immuno-modulation of the peripartal immuno-competence. Galectins are multipotent, evolutionarily conserved, carbohydrate- binding proteins that, by crosslinking cell surface glyco-conjugates, trigger a cascade of transmembrane signaling events such as cell activation, cytokine secretion, migration, and apoptosis. The objective of the study was to evaluate galectin 3 and galectin 9 levels in Holstein-Friesian cows in the periparturient period. Eight Holstein-Friesian periparturient cows were used for the study. Blood was taken 2 weeks close to calving (close up), and 7 d after calving(c+7). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect and determine the concentrations of galectins 3 and 9 in the plasma of the cows. Each sample was done in triplicate. The Student t-test in SAS 9.2 was used to analyze the data obtained. The results demonstrated that galectin 3 levels decreased significantly 7 d after calving (P = 0.0362). Galectin 9, on the other hand, was observed to increase 7 d after calving but the increase was not significant compared with 2 wk before calving (P = 0.6035). This indicates that galectin levels change during the periparturient period of cows, and are differentially regulated. A better understanding of the molecular and physiological properties of galectins could help to establish its therapeutic potential in inflammatory diseases especially mastitis and other postpartum diseases in the dairy industry