Ketosis in dairy cows is a common metabolic disorder that occurs when the herd enters the early lactation stage, negatively affecting milk yield, reproductive performance, and herd health. In this article, Vemedim provides an overview of the disease mechanism, early warning signs, and practical prevention and treatment strategies to help farmers proactively control the disease.
General introduction to Ketosis
Although the dairy industry in our country has developed strongly, many farmers still do not fully understand Ketosis - a “silent” metabolic disease that can cause serious losses to the herd. Ketosis is a common metabolic disease in high-yield dairy cows, usually appearing from a few days to a few weeks after calving.
The disease is quite common in dairy cows during peak lactation or in ewes in late pregnancy. When the cow’s body lacks glucose, it begins breaking down stored lipids to generate energy through the formation of ketone bodies. In other words, ketone bodies are an alternative energy source when glucose is deficient.
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Causes of Ketosis
To prevent the disease effectively, it is important to understand why cows develop ketosis. The main cause of the disease is a lack of glucose in the body, forcing the body to use alternative energy from ketones. Glucose deficiency usually occurs in the following cases:
- After calving: Newly calved cows do not yet receive a ration sufficient to meet the energy demand for milk production. Milk yield peaks after 4 weeks, but feed intake peaks only after 7 weeks, creating a significant energy gap.
- During pregnancy: The fetus draws glucose from the mother for development; especially in twin-bearing ewes, the mother is at risk of hypoglycemia, leading to pregnancy toxaemia.
- A nutritionally deficient or indigestible ration: High-fiber, low-glucose feeds or feeds containing appetite-suppressing substances (such as cadaverine, putrescine, tryptamine) reduce feed intake, indirectly causing energy deficiency.
- Feeds containing ketone precursors: Butyric acid in legume silage also contributes to ketone formation.
- Another important factor is a diet deficient in oxaloacetate, which prevents acetyl-CoA from entering the TCA cycle, leading to ketone accumulation in blood and urine.
Symptoms of Ketosis
Ketosis usually appears within 10 hours to 3 weeks after calving. Before symptoms become obvious, ketones have already begun to accumulate in the cow’s body. Typical signs include:
- Reduced appetite, decreased milk yield, weight loss, sunken eyes, and reluctance to move.
- Reduced rumen contractions, dry and firm feces.
- Breath and milk have a characteristic acetone odor.
- Severe cases (nervous ketosis): the cow becomes uncoordinated, lethargic, panicked, bellows, salivates excessively, and may sometimes attack people.
Diagnosis:
- Blood glucose measurement: <50 mg/100 ml → suspected disease.
- β-hydroxybutyrate measurement: >14.4 mg/100 ml → confirmed disease.
- Urine ketone testing using ketostick strips, with severity assessed according to β-hydroxybutyrate in urine.
Prevention and treatment of Ketosis
Understanding the mechanism and symptoms helps us implement effective preventive and treatment measures.
Prevention methods
- Control body condition before calving
Cows that are too fat or too thin are both more susceptible to disease. Maintaining an appropriate body condition helps reduce ketone accumulation after calving and supports overall health.
- Appropriate ration
The early postpartum period is when cows need high energy for milk production, but their appetite is still low. Therefore, the ration should be:
- High in energy and easy to digest: quality corn silage, soybean meal, brewer’s grains, young fresh grass, etc.
- Diverse ingredients: combine many nutritious ingredients such as Vemedim Aminovit, Vemedim Anti Gum to help cows eat better and increase feed intake, thereby reducing the risk of glucose and energy deficiency.
- Balance starch and roughage: Starch-rich feeds provide quick energy, while roughage stimulates rumen contractions and maintains digestive health.
- Supplement glucose precursors
- Glycerin (110-150 g/day) or propylene glycol (300 g/day): helps stabilize blood glucose.
- Niacin (6-12 g/day): supports energy metabolism and reduces ketone accumulation.
- Monitor cow condition and adjust continuously
Prevention does not stop at preparing the ration before calving. Farmers need to monitor cows’ condition daily:
- Observe feed intake, fatigue level, and milk yield.
- Periodically check ketone levels in blood or urine for early detection.
- Adjust the ration promptly if cows show signs of reduced appetite or low blood glucose.
- Supplement Vemedim beef cattle fattening - increases milk yield, helps stimulate weight gain, and improves productivity in beef and dairy cattle. Enhances palatability and digestion in cattle. Supports digestion, prevents diarrhea, increases milk yield and milk quality in dairy cows. Improves reproductive performance. Reduces the risk of Ketosis.
Treatment methods
- Intravenous injection: glucose, 20-50% dextrose.
- Intramuscular injection: Catoforce, dexamethasone, vitamin B12, B-complex vitamins.
- Daily ration supplementation: 200-300 g Stearolac or Linpro to provide energy and calcium.
To control and minimize Ketosis in dairy herds, farmers need to ensure balanced nutrition, while also monitoring ketone body levels and coordinating timely intervention. When these measures are implemented seriously and with technical consultation from Vemedim experts, the dairy herd will be better protected, health will improve, and business efficiency will increase.
