Veterinary Clinical Medicine-II

CONTROL MEASURES FOR KETOSIS

Cattle

• Should not be starved or over fat at calving.
• Adequate calorie intake at early lactation.
• Feeding in preparation for the next lactation should not begin until about 4 weeks to calving.
• 4 weeks prior to calving: silage or hay or pasture maintenance + 1 Kg concentrate/ day; gradually increase to 5 kg concentrate/day at calving.
• After calving, increase concentrate as production increases i.e. 3 kg hay/ 100 kg b.wt. or 9 kg ensilage/ 100kg b.wt. as maintenance + 1 kg concentrate /3 kg milk produced.
• Protein should not exceed 16-18 %.
• Exercise is must in intensive rearing.
• Ration should contain Co, P and I_2.
• Avoid wet ensilage or mouldy hay or dusty hay ( as they have increased levels of butyrate).
• Prophylactic feeding of sodium propionate @ 110g daily for 6 weeks.
• Sodium propionate 110 g/ day for 6 weeks
• Propylene glycol @ 350 ml / day for 10 days after serving or 6% of concentrate ration for 2 months.
• Blood glucose and milk ketone estimation during 6^th week of lactation.

Sheep

• Same as in cows. Monensin sodium @ 25 mg/day as feed mix.
• Ensure that the plane of nutrition is raising in 2^nd half of pregnancy.
• During last 2 months: concentrates containing 10% protein @ 0.25 kg/ day, increasing to 1 kg/ day during last 2 weeks.
• Avoid sudden change in feed.
• Ensure extra food during bad weather.
• Shelter should be available in pasture.
• Ewes should be driven out for ½ hr twice daily in well fed flocks.
• If pasture is available, only concentrate should be fed.

General

• Manipulation of ration to produce more of propionate in the rumen (ration of finely ground roughage, cooked grain, cod liver oil with certain unsaturated fatty acid are anti ketogenic and produces less of milk fat thereby reducing energy loss).
• Blood glucose estimation at 2-6 weeks of lactation( < 35 mg % needs attention). Regular tests for ketone in urine are to be done from 2^nd week.
• Estimation of β hydroxy-butyrate levels in early lactation.
• Palatable feeds and frequent feeding.
• 1/3^rd of total D.M consumption through good quality roughage helps to maintain appetite.