Ketosis, which cows can suffer from, is a serious metabolic disease. It develops in dry cows due to insufficient energy balance in their body. It often occurs secretly and is difficult to diagnose. Let's consider the causes and symptoms of ketosis in cows, the forms of the disease, how it can be identified and how to cure it, what can be done to prevent its development in livestock.
Description of the disease
The disease gets its name from ketone bodies.These are breakdown products of fatty acids and individual amino acids. If there are no violations, they are oxidized without problems in the body of cattle. But when metabolism is disrupted, their content in tissues rises sharply, and they enter the blood. This condition is called ketonemia. As a result of ketonemia, ketonuria and ketonolactia develop, that is, the entry of ketone bodies into urine and milk.
Highly productive individuals of 4-7 years of age are affected during the final phase of pregnancy and within a month and a half after birth. Ketosis develops in animals in winter and spring, shortly after calving. At this time, their body actively processes fat. Glucose is required for processing in the liver, but if there is not enough substance in the body, fat processing processes are disrupted, and ketosis develops.
Ketosis in cows leads to a sharp decrease in milk production, a reduction in the beneficial use of cows, weight loss, and impaired reproduction. Pregnant calves may experience abortions, stillborn calves, and live ones born weak and sickly.
Causes of ketosis in cows
As established by veterinary medicine, ketosis is caused not by one, but by several reasons at once. For dairy cows with large milk yields, this means feeding feed that is high in protein and low in carbohydrates. Such feeds change the bacterial composition of the rumen, which leads to inhibition of the breakdown of cellulose, which is the main source of energy for ruminants.
Feeding silage, sour beet pulp, rotten root vegetables, and high-fat concentrates also leads to ketosis.Some role in the development of ketosis and its consequences is played by disruption of the endocrine organs, namely insufficient production of corticosteroids, thyroid and adrenocorticotropic hormones. The cause may also be diseases of the proventriculus and genital organs. Lack of exercise and active movement, when cows spend most of their time standing in stalls or in a cramped pen, also contributes to ketosis.
Main symptoms
The disease can develop in 3 forms - acute, subacute and chronic. Clinical manifestations of the disease depend on the level of metabolic disorders, the volume of ketone bodies concentrated in the blood, its alkaline reserve and a decrease in glucose levels.
Acute form
Signs of acute ketosis: central nervous system disorders in the form of an increased reaction to unfavorable external stimuli. Animals may become frightened, grind their teeth, tremble, lick their lips, and moo. There is drooling. The stage of excitation is followed by a stage characterized by depression, apathy, and weakened response to stimuli.
Animals' digestion is disrupted, their appetite is distorted, and they refuse good food. In the stage of acetonemia in cows, intestinal motility is weakened and bowel movements are reduced. Exhaled air, urine and freshly milked milk smell of acetone. The skin of a sick individual becomes less elastic, the fur is tousled, the mucous membranes are icteric, light areas of the skin and the conjunctiva of the eyes. The liver is enlarged in size and painful on palpation.
Subacute ketosis
This stage in cows is accompanied by a change in taste preferences. Instead of hay, they may eat dirty bedding containing feces and urine. Milk yields are reduced, and milk production may stop altogether. Pathological changes are expressed in organ degeneration and loss of tone.Disorders affect the heart, kidneys, liver, and ovaries. They are enlarged and flabby.
Chronic form
In the chronic form, cows have low body condition due to decreased appetite and hypotension of the forestomach, and lethargy. Dystrophy of the liver, heart, and disorders of the reproductive organs are noted. Blood, urine and milk contain a large number of ketone bodies, thyroid function and sexual function are reduced.
How is the disease diagnosed?
The diagnosis is established according to laboratory tests. Research makes it possible to identify pathology in cattle before clinical symptoms appear.
To test for ketosis, blood, milk and urine are taken. Ketone bodies should be found in them. The diagnosis of “clinical ketosis” can be made when the amount of beta-hydroxybutyric acid in 1 liter of blood is more than 1.4 mmol. The level in urine and milk will be approximately the same. Tests in fresh cows are carried out 2-3 times a week during the first 3 weeks of milking.
The disease can be determined visually by the milk; its taste changes, it becomes less fatty, tastes bitter, and there is less foam during milking. Animals eat poorly, lose weight, are depressed or, conversely, agitated.
How to cure a cow from ketosis
The disease is treated using medications and folk remedies. It is recommended to use them in combination to enhance the effect of each method. During the treatment period, the sick individual must be placed in a separate stall and provided with comfortable conditions and allowed to rest more. Feed food with minimal protein and high carbohydrate content. Do not feed with silage or acidic feed.
Use of drugs
The goal of treatment is to restore glucose and glycogen in the body of livestock, normalize acids and alkaline elements. Establishing the functions of the gastrointestinal tract, heart function, restoring the level of mineral components and vitamins.
There are different veterinary treatment regimens. For example, ketosis can be treated by administering novocaine and glucose, the drugs “Glucal”, “Cholenol”, “Ketazal”. Glucose levels are normalized by injection of sodium lactate (5-9 days). Every day you need to administer 400-500 g of the substance. Another regimen involves administering insulin and glucose. To maintain internal organs, the following is administered:
- Thyroid gland - one dose subcutaneous hormone of the anterior pituitary gland, intramuscular cortisol.
- Hearts - caffeine.
- Liver - injection "Carsulen" (for cows that gave birth on days 3.5 and 7 after calving).
Propylene glycol is added to grain food for cattle 2 times a day. First, 230-400 g are given, then the dose is reduced. Treatment must be carried out promptly, especially in the acute stage, since the degree of animal recovery and further productivity depend on this.
Folk remedies
At home, you can reduce ketosis by introducing beets, turnips, and carrots into your diet - root vegetables with a high sugar content. For 1 animal you need 5-7 kg per day. In addition to sweet vegetables, cows are fed good hay, chopped oats and barley. Cattle that are too well-fed have their diet reduced and are fed 1 kg of pine needles per day.
An approximate treatment regimen for ketosis in cattle at home:
- Dissolve 0.4 kg of sugar in water and feed it to the cow. When 1 hour has passed, give an insulin injection.
- Twice a day, do enemas with a solution of baking soda, and give the animal such solutions to drink.
- If the course of the disease is severe, the cow is given insulin 2 times a day.
- Feed 2 kg of molasses per head per day.
However, it is better not to self-medicate such a serious condition, but to show the sick animal to a veterinarian. Only a specialist can make a correct diagnosis and select the right treatment.
Consequences for cows
In acute ketosis, cows reduce the amount of feed they eat and their milk yield decreases. In chronic cases, there is a disorder of the reproductive cycle, a decrease in the ability to reproduce. In individuals who have given birth, placenta retention may occur, ovarian cysts, hidden heat, endometritis, cystitis, and mastitis may be detected. The body's immune functions deteriorate. This leads not only to a deterioration in the health of the animal itself, but also to a decrease in the level of reproduction.
Cows suffering from ketosis have an increased risk of abomasum displacement, the development of fatty liver disease, and they are more likely to suffer from infectious diseases. The formation of follicles slows down, and signs of heat are delayed. After calving, the uterus recovers slowly, there are delays in the placenta, and colostrum is poorly produced. Childbirth can be difficult.
In cows of age and gender, the percentage of fertilization decreases; artificial insemination and treatment to restore function.
Prevention measures
To prevent the development of ketosis, you need to adjust your diet. It should become complete in basic nutritional elements, varied in foods. It is important to design it so that cows do not lose or gain too much weight. It is advisable to graze cows on pasture, and not just walk them in a walking area. Animals should walk daily and move more so that their muscles can easily process ketone bodies. Animals must walk 2-3 km every day.
It is also important to monitor the cleanliness of the water. Cows should only drink clean, fresh water as much as they want.
Clean the barn and equipment, create conditions for the cows in which they feel comfortable, and avoid stress. Pregnant cows in the last stage of pregnancy and before calving need to be provided with good nutrition, the feed rate should be increased almost 2 times so that the animal receives a sufficient amount of energy. If, on the contrary, the animal is overfed, you need to reduce the diet by 1/5.
It is important to formulate the diet in such a way that it can satisfy the energy needs of animals. This is necessary so that the accumulated fat and protein are spent sparingly. The diet also needs to be balanced in terms of mineral components; the water should be neutral in acid-base balance.
Ketosis in cattle is a dangerous condition for the health and productivity of animals. You can't underestimate him. The disease can be diagnosed at home based on its characteristic symptoms. If the disease manifests itself in a mild form, the cow’s condition can be restored by adjusting the diet; if the condition is advanced, medications will help.
