What is ketosis in dairy cows

To properly assess the risk factors on individuals, ketosis testing should be performed at least twice between 3 and 14 days in milk Ospina et al. Alternatively, monitoring at the herd level, whereby 1 in 12 cows in early lactation testing above the 1. Whereas routine testing at the herd level or systematic measuring of individual cows is the most accurate way of assessing ketosis prevalence at the farm level, there are a number of visual clues that indicate an underlying ketosis challenge.

Rapid loss of BCS following calving is generally a strong indication of ketosis. Ideally, a cow will only lose 0. New technologies using 3D cameras are available to help monitor BCS, but most managers must rely on visual assessment of the fresh group.

A cow that has a decent appetite will have a slight rumen bulge on the left-hand side. A cow that has been inadequately eating for more than a day will have a relatively straight belly line. Cows with poor intake can also be observed as the ones tending to be slow to come to feed or needing to be pushed up at milking time. Encouraging greater DMI is the single most effective preventative measure against ketosis. Greater DMI enables similar energy intake, at a lower energy density, which allows the necessary effective fiber levels to maintain rumen function and metabolic processes.

In comparison, increasing energy density is usually at the expense of effective fiber in exchange for higher soluble carbohydrates or fats content, leading to greater risk of rumen upset and SARA conditions, which generally results in further reductions in DMI.

The importance of DMI for a smoother transition period does not begin at calving, but is already a priority in the close-up period. Continual monitoring and early response to sub-clinical ketosis make prophylactic propylene glycol treatment a successful strategy to reduce the instances of clinical ketosis.

Treatments are continued daily until the sub-clinical ketosis has been resolved. However, the relatively large risk zone for developing sub-clinical ketosis make such practices of repeated treatment very labor intensive. Alternatively, propylene glycol treatment is often applied at the first sign of clinical ketosis.

At this stage, damage to the liver has already been incurred and the risk of developing secondary metabolic disorders significantly increased. If clinical ketosis does occur, glucose or glucose-derivatives can be given intravenously.

Most cows will respond to intravenous treatment, however, damage to the liver has likely already occurred and lactation performance will have been compromised. Feed additives that encourage greater DMI will help to reduce the instances of sub-clinical ketosis. Yeast supplements are commonly fed in dairy rations for their general effect of enhancing rumen buffering capacity and improving the degradation of feeds. This action stabilizes the rumen pH and microbiota, which in turn encourages greater mobility of the cow and more time spent at the feed bunk.

Greater digestion of feedstuffs increases the flow of volatile fatty acids available for glucose production. Managers that pursue energy dense, high starch diets to encourage greater propionic acid production and thereby glucose levels, may use ionophores, where allowed, to mitigate lactic acid production, however, such diets also tend to reduce rumination and DMI.

Increasing energy density by using feed fat should also be discouraged as this increases the metabolic burden on the liver, increasing the likelihood of developing ketosis and fatty liver syndrome. To alleviate excess fat deposition in the liver, choline and methionine can be fed to help mobilize accumulated fat out of the liver where it can then be excreted into the milk. In many instances, bunk space is limiting, feed is not easily accessible, or there are sorting issues that disrupt the nutrient intake balance.

Feed bunk management as a preventative measure is important as cows are social animals and prefer to do activities as a group. Bunk management of dry cows is often neglected as they are not considered to be productive animals, however, they too need adequate bunk space in order to ease social stress and maintain regular eating patterns.

This means that sufficient bunk space should be available so that all cows can eat at once, without their sides rubbing. This reduces social stress in the group and helps maintain DMI levels. Feed freshness can also be a factor, with feed refusals from the high production group sometimes being diluted with forage, then fed the following day to the dry cows.

Such practices result in inconsistent nutrient supply and the risk of mycotoxin growth, both of which can influence eating patterns and risk of metabolic disorders. Post-calving, it is critical that cows have ample access to fresh feed to encourage DMI. This includes plenty of bunk space as well as regular delivery of fresh feed.

Having adequate space in the fresh pen enables those that are not feeling fit a chance to move away from the more dominant animals without compromising feeding patterns. Regular feeding and feed push-up also encourages regular feeding patterns by keeping the feed attractive to the cows and reduces the risk of sorting.

Without regular feeding and feed push-up, these vulnerable cows are at a higher risk of inadequate intake and nutrition, prolonging the NEB period and increasing the vulnerability to metabolic disorders such a sub-clinical or clinical ketosis. In addition to space allotment, sorting is a common problem with feed bunk management and can occur at any stage of production.

While cows determine the extent of sorting, it is the TMR wagon operator who determines how easily the cows are capable of sorting the TMR. In relation to ketosis, most early lactation diets are formulated for minimal effective fiber content in order to maximize nutrient density. However, cows are also more prone to sorting which can lead to SARA conditions that further decrease DMI and increase the risk of sub- or clinical ketosis development. Most sorting is against long fibers.

Problems relating to sorting can generally be corrected with proper feed preparation techniques. An effective way to monitor TMR preparation and sorting is by following the recommendations as outlined in the Penn State Particle Separator guidelines. Performing regular TMR audits ensures greater consistency among workers preparing the diets as well as reducing day to day variation in cow intake.

The negative impact of overcrowding at the feed-bunk and lying areas cannot be over emphasized. In the weeks following calving, cows suffer generally from some degree of inflammation, which depresses their desire to eat. These cows are more prone to be the last to the feed bunk and more easily displaced by the fitter, more dominant cows.

Most managers have fresh cows separated from the lactating herd for the first 21 to 30 days. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially. Withdrawal Guidlines. Publication Ethics. Withdrawal Policies Publication Ethics. Home JDVAR Ketosis acetonaemia in dairy cattle farms practical guide based on importance diagnosis prevention and treatments.

Journal of. Research Article Volume 7 Issue 6. Drackley JK. Biology of dairy cows during the transition period: The final frontier?

J Dairy Sci. Grummer RR. Impact of changes in organic nutrient metabolism on feeding the transition dairy cow. J Anim Sci. Alteration in immune responsiveness during the peripartum period and its ramification on dairy cow and calf health. Prevalence of ketosis in dairy farms—A survey in Tamil Nadu. Tamilnadu J Vet Anim Sci. First ovulation and ketone body status in the early postpartum period of dairy cows. Livest produ Sci. Hibbitt KG. Bovine ketosis and its prevention. Vet Rec. Invited review: pathology, etiology, prevention, and treatment of fatty liver in dairy cows.

Metabolic characteristic of the liver of dairy cows during ketosis based on comparative proteomics. Ingvartsen KL.

Anim Feed Sci Technol. Prev Vet Med. Oetzel GR. This time frame has classically been associated with this metabolic disorder. McArt shared that the incidence rate of fresh cow ketosis varies between herds and will vary over time within a herd.

Thus, herds need to test cows on a routine, if not monthly, basis. Blood samples should be taken from the tail or jugular vein and tested using the Abbott Precision Xtra TM meter, the same recommendation as Dr. Oetzel in the companion webinar. Test strips for this meter currently are only available through human medicine not animal medicine suppliers, thus the high cost and lower availability.

Hopefully, this will be resolved within the next year and additional cow-side blood tests will come on the market that have been validated for use in dairy cows. Time of sampling relative to feeding does not matter in ad lib fed TMR herds, but concentration peaks 4 to 5 hours after feeding in component or non-free choice, fed herds.

Cows that lose significant body condition during the first 30 days of milk will take longer to get pregnant and have less persistent lactations. Significant body condition loss during the first 30 days of milk can also have a negative impact on milk quality due to a greater inability for a cow to fight intramammary infection.

The subclinical state is more prevalent in early lactation cows and can be detected by blood or milk ketone tests. To catch ketosis before it becomes clinical, dairy operations have been conducting routine blood tests as a part of their fresh cow screening protocol. These blood tests detect elevated ketone levels in the blood indicative of subclinical ketosis in dairy cows. While some nutritional factors can play a role in controlling the negative impacts of ketosis in dairy cows, management is key.

In fact, some cows can have high levels of ketones and still perform if it is managed properly. The following management practices can help you control the negative consequences of ketosis on your dairy operation:. As dairies become larger, there is often a tendency for overcrowding, especially during times when there is a flush of calving. Dairy producers may have adjusted their facilities as their dairy herd has expanded, but many still have not adjusted their transition cow facilities to match the size of their herd.

Overcrowding can reduce feed intake by adding stress and by physically limiting the amount of feed bunk space available to each cow. Lastly, overcrowding negatively affects quality lying time, which increases the risk of hoof lesions developing in the first days in milk. Heifers will be more stressed when mingling with older cows. This can also cause a reduction in dry matter intake and further contributes to a negative energy balance.

There is a social hierarchy in dairy herds, and moving a cow into a new pen with cows it is not familiar with can add additional stress.