Dairy Cattle Nutrition: Metabolic Diseases

Question 1

2 Bloat Preventions

Answer 1

1) Gradual diet adaptation
2) Feed dry hay before pasturing animals

Question 2

Hardware Disease Treatment

Answer 2

Surgery

Question 3

4 Displaced Abomasum (DA) Treatment

Answer 3

1) Walking and Exercise
2) Roll the cow to get the abomasum to normal position
3) Surgery to suture the abomasum to the body wall to keep in normal position
4) If it is a Right side DA -> conduct surgery immediately

Question 4

Metabolic disease common in green cut forages

Answer 4

Nitrate Poisoning

Question 5

3 Nitrate Poisoning Preventions

Answer 5

1) Use silage
2) Including high energy feeds (grain) in ration reduces danger of Nitrate toxicity

3) Analyse feeds and waterif it is a common problem
in the region

Question 6

8 Nitrate Poisoning Symptoms

Answer 6

1) Accelerated respiration and pulse
2) Diarhea
3) Frequent Urination
4) Depressed Appetite
5) General weakness
6) Trembling, staggering
7) Frothing at the mouth
8) Dark blood

Question 7

How does Ketosis happen?

Answer 7

Results from impaired Carbohydrate
and Volatile Fatty Acid Metabolism

Question 8

8 Nutrition Disorders

Answer 8

1) Displaced Abomasum
2) Ketosis
3) Grass Tetany
4) Hardware disease
5) Lactic Acidosis
6) Milk Fever
7) Nitrate poisoning
8) Bloat

Question 9

4 Grass Tetany Symptoms

Answer 9

1) Stiff movement
2) Loss of appetite
3) Frequent urination
4) Convulsions

Question 10

5 Lactic Acidosis Preventions

Answer 10

1) Include appropriate levels of fibre
2) Use adequate particle size for TMR
3) Adjust cows to high-grain diet by gradually increase grain
4) Adding grain to dry cow rations before calving
5) Feeding buffers to help maintain rumen pH

Question 11

Metabolic disease seen with low blood calcium, lack of muscle strength, and contractility

Answer 11

Milk Fever (MF)

Question 12

3 Grass Tetany Preventions

Answer 12

1) Provide adequate magnesium daily during the high risk period
2) Use mineral blocks and provide balanced diet
3) Use legumes in pastures (high Magnesium content than cereals)

Question 13

3 Bloat Treatments

Answer 13

1) Insert long tube in the mouth to allow gases to leave
the rumen

2) Drench or force-feed mineral oil or anti-foaming agent to eliminate froth or foam that may be preventing gases from escaping
3) Canula/Trocar

Question 14

Displaced Abomasum (DA) is normally on what side?

Answer 14

Left side

Question 15

Bloat also known as…

A) Milk Fever

B) Displaced Abomasum

C) Grass Tetany

D) Ruminal Tympany

Answer 15

D) Ruminal Tympany

Question 16

5 Ketosis Preventions

Answer 16

1) Avoid overfeeding and overconditioning of cows
2) Increase grain after calving
3) Avoid abrupt ration changes
4) Feed good quality forages
5) Do Drenching as a routine

Question 17

Which Metabolic Disease is caused by Magnesium deficiency?

A) Milk Fever

B) Acidosis

C) Ketosis

D) All of the above

E) None of the above

Answer 17

E) None of the above

(Grass Tetany)

Question 18

2 Bloat Symptoms

Answer 18

1) Stomach wall protrudes between the ribs and hip bone
2) Swollen like a balloon if pressed

Question 19

Milk Fever Treatment

Answer 19

Calcium salts I.V.

Question 20

How does Nitrate Poisoning (NP) happen?

Answer 20

NP occurs when excess Nitrates in feed or water are
converted to nitrites by the microorganisms in the rumen

Question 21

6 Ketosis Symptoms

Answer 21

1) Reduced feed intake and milk yield
2) Cows appear starved, depressed and dull
3) Rumen is inactive
4) Acetone odour in breath, milk and urine
5) Weight loss
6) Unexplained increase in milk fat content

Question 22

5 Displaced Abomasum (DA) Symptoms

Answer 22

1) Discomfort and Pain
2) Reduced intake of feed and water
3) Reduced milk yield
4) Reduced volume of faeces, dark colored feces
5) “Ping” sound heard (with stethoscope) over the right rib cage instead of the normal thudding

Question 23

8 Milk Fever Symptoms

Answer 23

1) Hind limb stiffness
2) Partial paralysis
3) Unable to rise
4) Poor appetite
5) Dry muzzle
6) Reduced rumen movement
7) Slow respiration
8) Low body temperature and cold ears

Question 24

Best approach to treat Ketosis?

A) Oral admin of propylene glycol (drenching)

B) Calcium salts I.V.

C) Immediate surgery

Answer 24

A) Oral admin of propylene glycol (drenching)

Question 25

8 Lactic Acidosis Symptoms

Answer 25

1) Loss of appetite
2) High pulse rate
3) Diarrhea
4) Low skin temperature
5) Dehydration
6) Drop in urine pH
7) Low rumen pH
8) Hooves become tender and grow abnormally (laminitis)

Question 26

Which Metabolic Disease is caused by calcium deficiency?

A) Milk Fever

B) Acidosis

C) Bloat

Answer 26

A) Milk Fever

Question 27

Nitrate Poisoning Treatment

Answer 27

Normally when detected it is too late

Question 28

Where is grass tetany most commonly seen?

Answer 28

Most common in lactating animals grazing on rapidly
growing lush pastures during the beginning of pasture season

Question 29

Which Metabolic Disease is related to low fiber and high grain intake?

A) Ketosis

B) Acidosis

C) Milk Fever

Answer 29

B) Acidosis

Question 30

Cause of Hardware disease

Answer 30

Occurs when animal swallow foreign material

Question 31

Laminitis is a symptom of ?

A) Bloat

B) Milk Fever

C) Lactic Acidosis

D) Nitrate Poisoning

E) None of the above

Answer 31

C) Lactic Acidosis

Question 32

Normal pH of the rumen

Answer 32

pH 6.5

Question 33

2 Displaced Abomasum (DA) Prevention

Answer 33

1) Dry cows diet should contain adequate fibre in amount and particle size
2) Gradual adjustment of cows to diets high on cereals

Question 34

Grass tetany treatment

Answer 34

Inject magnesium sulphate under the skin

Question 35

Major cause of Grass Tetany

Answer 35

Major cause: grazing lush, spring pastures with wheat or
rye with low levels of magnesium and high levels of potassium

Question 36

3 Hardware disease symptoms

Answer 36

1) Loss of appetite
2) Digestive Problems

3) Tendency to stand with front feet elevated
(lessen pressure on sore area)

Question 37

2 Hardware Disease Preventions

Answer 37

1) Good feed bunk management
2) Magnets in the reticulum and feed processing equipment

Question 38

2 Lactic Acidosis Treatments

Answer 38

1) Force-feed buffers to stabilize pH
2) Feed only forage for a few days, than gradually reintroduce grain

Question 39

Cause of Lactic Acidosis (LA)

Answer 39

Results from abnormal fermentation in the rumen

Question 40

3 Milk Fever Preventions

Answer 40

1) Avoid excessive calcium intake during the dry period
2) Low dietary calcium in the dry period will condition the cow to draw calcium from bone
3) Supplement large quantities of vitamin D, 2-3 days before calving (more is toxic)

Question 41

How does Bloat happen?

Answer 41

Occurs with excessive accumulation of gas in the rumen
Bloated animal can not eructate or belch out the gases

Question 42

2 Ketosis Treatments

Answer 42

1) I.V. treatment of dextrose to increase blood sugar levels
2) Drenching: oral admin of propylene glycol to provide glucose precursors