Metabolic Diseases

Sub-Clinical Ketosis

Israel, commercial dairy, September 2002



The vet found no disease diagnosis, the keto-stick showed no indication for Ketosis. Milk production looks well and satisfying. Weight loss looks normal and shows late response to appetite loss.

“Any cow losing weight is experiencing some degree of subclinical ketosis, regardless of what the keto stick says. During this period of weight loss, the cow will have some NEFAs going to the liver and will have some level of ketones in her blood.
These ketones depress intake and cause what I call “droopy cow syndrome”
Inceasing the level of propionate at the liver will reduce loginess, improve dry matter intake, and boost milk production. This can occur even in a cow already making 100 pounds.”

HOARD’S DAIRYMAN, by Dr. Mary Beth de Ondarza

Conclusion:
Using VocalTag’s technology to Monitor Postpartum Health condition at Dairy Cows can be a very useful tool to the farmer.
Monitoring postpartum health condition brings the opportunity to identify sick cows earlier and to provide supportive therapy in order to maintain dry matter intake during the transition from parturition to lactation.
The postpartum period of the dairy cow determines productive and reproductive responses during lactation and is therefore, a pivotal time in the production cycle of the cow. During this period, dairy cows are at risk of developing calving related diseases, such as hypocalcemia, metritis (uterine infection), ketosis and displacement of the abomasum (Curtis et al, 1983;Cur tis et al, 1985). These are costly disorders with estimated economic losses ranging from $200 to $400 per case per lactation.

The Nederland’s, May - June 2003,


Sub-clinical Ketosis at the grazing season

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