Causes of ketosis in cows
Ketosis in cows is one of the most common ailments in high yielding cows. The disease is accompanied by metabolic disorders, which leads to an excess of ketone compounds in the animal's body. Often, individuals of the age category 5-8 years old are affected. Late treatment leads to the transformation of the disease into a protracted one.
Ketosis in cows
What is the danger of the disease?
The course can be very different, depending on the content of ketone compounds in the blood, from a subclinical course without manifestations to a neuroparalytic form and even a lethal outcome. The most common manifestations of the disease are observed 10 days after the birth of the calf. The onset of lactation, hormonal imbalance and stress do not allow the animal to consume as much feed as needed to compensate for the expended energy and the increased needs of the body.
Stress provokes a sharp, intense breakdown of your own subcutaneous fat, which leads to depletion. The increased content of ketone bodies reduces appetite, which only aggravates the course of the disease. Also, the compounds have a negative effect on liver cells. With the mass death of liver cells, all functions of the body are disrupted.
The subclinical period is very dangerous, because due to the accumulation of ketone bodies, the internal secretory function is inhibited, which provokes the development of various diseases.
- Decreased activity of the parathyroid gland leads to a blockage of calcium absorption. As a result, secondary osteodystrophy, ovarian cyst, will appear. Blood tests will show a lack of calcium, as well as a decrease in reserve alkalinity.
- With the suppression of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, reproductive function is impaired. Ovarian hypofunction or intrauterine mortality is often noted.
Why arises
Due to the peculiarities of metabolism, cows are classified as animals prone to developing ketosis. Carbohydrates enter the blood vessels as regular fatty acids, not glucose. Of these, only propionic acid is converted to glucose. The rest of the acids are converted to ketone compounds.
Often, cows show ketosis within 90 days of calving. The development of pathology is associated with increased lactation, which requires high energy costs. Energy, in turn, is generated by the presence of glucose in the blood. Causes:
- insufficient amount of natural products in the diet;
- the predominance of protein foods in the diet;
- lack of energy while feeding offspring;
- food with a high content of butyric acids, which are converted into ketone compounds;
- lack of vitamins and minerals;
- obesity;
- low activity.
Symptomatic picture
The disease is usually subdivided into three forms: acute, subacute, protracted. Symptoms of the acute period in dairy cows: nervous disorders, tremors of the muscles of the whole body, teeth grinding, increased salivation, constant movement of the animal, increased susceptibility of the skin along the spine.Over time, the cow weakens, sometimes falls into a coma, in some individuals paralysis of the hind legs is observed, there are almost no reactions to sound and light, the body temperature is low.
Symptoms of the subacute period are characterized by indigestion, which provokes unusual eating habits, that is, the animal begins to consume bedding hay with feces instead of good hay and combined feed. Acetone rises in the blood, which makes the smell of exhaled air characteristic, and becomes the cause of the development of acidosis. Milk yield decreases, and in the most severe cases, the cow may stop giving milk altogether.
The symptoms of the protracted form are similar to the previous two, but they appear to a lesser extent. Any form of the disease is accompanied by the accumulation of ketone substances, which can be determined by blood or urine tests. Their concentration will determine the severity of the disease.
How to make a diagnosis
Symptoms and treatment of ketosis is an important point. To establish an accurate diagnosis, you need to analyze the symptoms and conduct laboratory tests. The change in the quality of dairy products can be analyzed independently at home. A characteristic sign of ketosis is a decrease in the frothiness of milk, the appearance of a bitter aftertaste, and a decrease in fat content.
As soon as the first signs of the disease were found, it is necessary to consult a veterinarian and begin treatment. Effective methods include eliminating the provoking factor. It is necessary to carefully review the diet of the animal. Food should be as natural as possible. Every day, a cow is given 9-10 kg of hay and the same amount of root crops.
What will the treatment be
Ketosis and the course of treatment with folk remedies implies the exclusion of poor-quality feed from the diet of sick animals, primarily silage, which contains butyric acid. Nutrition should be balanced. The amount of proteins and carbohydrates consumed by the body should be 1: 1, sometimes an increase in the amount of proteins is allowed. You can give an enema with boiled water to help the body remove toxins more quickly. There are two rules to treat ketosis in cattle.
- There should be enough glucose in the blood.
- The most important thing is reliable protection of hepatocytes (liver cells). To protect them, hepatoprotectors are used in the therapeutic regimen. In cases where the disease is accompanied by pathology, emergency drugs are used glucocorticoids. The use of drugs of this type should be prescribed by a doctor and only take place under his supervision.
From medications, injections of vitamin complexes, as well as salts of polyminerals, are shown. During an exacerbation, a course of glucose treatment is indicated. A 40% solution is introduced 2 times a day. If glucose treatment continues for more than 3 days, insulin must be used at the same time.
To reduce the concentration of ketone, together with the application of glucose, the cow is given up to 1 kg of molasses per day. When heart problems occur, caffeine is injected subcutaneously. When overexcited, sedatives are used.
Warning
Prevention of the ailment in question in cattle is a properly selected diet:
- ration: 8 kg of hay, 20% root crops, 30% concentrated feed;
- if there are no root crops, molasses should be present in the diet;
- during pregnancy, it is necessary to more carefully monitor that the animal receives a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals;
- in spring and autumn, it is recommended to inject vitamins intramuscularly;
- it is important to monitor the weight of the animals: in winter, it is necessary to walk the livestock at least once a week.
Active hiking is a good prevention of ketosis, not only in the cold season, but also in the summer heat. Physical activity forces the muscles to absorb ketone bodies from the blood. If you suspect something was wrong, you need to get tested.
Conclusion
The appearance of ketosis in cows is due to metabolic disorders in the animal body.Animals fall into the risk group due to the peculiarities of the breakdown and conversion of carbohydrates into butyric acids, and not into glucose. Often seen in high-yielding dairy cows.
Treating the disease is quite difficult. The main preventive method is to ensure proper nutrition. The ratio of proteins and carbohydrates should be 1: 1, for a calf cow - 1.5: 1. Around a month before calving, you should gradually start increasing your carbohydrate intake.
It is important to carry out seasonal vitamin therapy. In the spring, almost everyone: both animals and people - suffer from vitamin deficiencies, so the introduction of intramuscular complex drugs will not hurt. The next course of vitamin therapy should be carried out in the fall in order to maintain the immunity of livestock for the entire period of rains and cold weather.