Controlling ketosis in other species

Question 1

Sheep & goats

Answer 1

• Pregnancy Toxaemia (“Twin lamb disease”)
• Pregnancy ketosis
• Can also occur in beef cattle
• Usually occurs before lambing
  – Dairy goats can get ketosis after kidding
• Can easily be confused with other nervous conditions pre-lambing

Question 2

Pregnancy toxaemia

Answer 2

• Energy demands of late pregnancy exceed supply
  – Sheep with multiple lambs at higher risk
• Clinically indistinguishable from hypocalcaemia in sheep
  – Often one will precipitate the other
• Off feed, dull and depressed, nervous signs (blindness), death
• Sporadic cases maybe caused by underlying disease (teeth/lameness)
• Outbreaks often triggered by change in management
  – especially diet (reduced DMI)
• If not tx early the rate of death is quite high
• Mortality rate higher than in cattle

Question 3

CS of pregnancy toxaemia - early stages

Answer 3

• Separation from group
• Apparent blindness
  – Sheep seem alert but do not want to move (even if dog present)
  – Bump into obstacles and exhibit head pressing

Question 4

CS of pregnancy toxaemia - later stages

Answer 4

• Marked drowsiness
• Facial twitching, jaw champing, salivation
• Deviations of head position
• Star-gazing and ataxia
• Seizures
  – Marked drowsiness seen between seizures
• Ketone breath

Question 5

CS of pregnancy toxaemia - final stages

Answer 5

• Recumbency develops after 3-4 days
• Develops comatose state
  – Typically lasts for 3-4days
• If foetal death occurs, ewe appears to recover but secondary toxaemia results in deterioration and death

Question 6

Pregnancy toxaemia (sheep) – treatment

Answer 6

• Parenteral glucose
  – 5-7g glucose IV 6-8x daily recommended
  – i.e. more useful than for cattle ketosis
• Supportive IV fluids
  – Hartmanns or saline
• Oral propylene glycol
  – 100mL once daily or 60 mL twice daily for 3 days
  – In milder cases can be very effective alone
• Supplement with calcium and potassium
  – Increases success rate
• Can consider inducing lambs if in early stages of disease
  – If do not think ewe will survive the delay between induction and parturition (24hrs) C-sec can be considered

Question 7

South American Camelids

Answer 7

• Uncommon
• Energy metabolism disturbances share similarities with both ruminants and monogastrics
  – Hyperlipidaemia (monogastric presentations)
  – Ketosis (ruminants)
• Ketosis in camelids associated with hyperglycaemia
  – Care with glucose administration if off feed
• Measure NEFAs, BHB and triglycerides for diagnosis
  – But do not apply ruminant reference ranges