Veterinary Clinical Medicine-II

CLINICAL FINDINGS IN KETOSIS

Bovine ketosis

Wasting form

• Gradual but moderate decrease in appetite and decreased milk yield over 2-4 days
• First refuse grains, ensilage but continue to eat hay.
• Loss of body weight is rapid due to off-feed
• Woody appearance (due to loss of cutaneous elasticity and s/c fat)
• Feces firm and dry
• Cow moderately depressed
• Disinclined to move
• Normal temperature, pulse and respiratory rates.
• Rate and amplitude of ruminal movements normal and may be decreased in prolonged cases
• Ketone odour from mouth and milk
• Staggering and partial blindness may occur transiently.
• Severely affected animal die.
• Spontaneous recovery in about a month, but milk yield never return to normal level; sharp drop in SNF content of milk in wasting form.

Nervous form

• Suddenly appear Bizarre, delirium, walking in circles, straddling or crossing of legs, head pushing or leaning onto stanchion, apparent blindness, aimless movements, wandering, vigorous licking of the skin and inanimate objects
• Depraved appetite
• Chewing movements with salivation
• Hyperaesthetic- bellowing on pinching or stroking
• Moderate tremor and tetany
• Gait is usually staggering.
• Nervous sign usually occur in short episodes which last for 1 or 2 hrs and may recur at intervals of about 8 to 12 hrs
• Affected cows may injure themselves during the nervous episodes

Ovine and Caprine ketosis

• Similar to nervous form of ketosis in cows
• Separate from flock and apparent blindness (alert but disinclined to move).
• Stand still when approached by man or dog and no attempt to escape, head pressed against obstacle, stand in water trough all day and lap the water.
• Feces - constipation, dry and scanty
• Grinding of teeth
• Later stages - more severe nervous signs, tremors of muscles of head, twitching of lips, champing of jaws and salivation
• Clonic contraction of cervical muscles, dorsal flexion or lateral deviation of head, circling, convulsions spread to the whole body.

• Recurrent attack and drowsiness between convulsions
• Star gazing, incordination, falling when attempting to walk
• Smell of ketone in breath.

• Course: become recumbent in 3-4 days and then coma for 3-4 days