Negative energy balance

Question 1

Possible causes of secondary ketosis?

Answer 1

LDA (feed intake goes down, get NEB) LDA can lead to NEB but NEB can also lead to LDA

Any condition that makes cows loose appetite!

Question 2

What is primary negative energy balance?

Answer 2

Can’t eat enough to make up for use e.g. in early lactation

Question 3

What metabolic processes come about in NEB to produce more glucose?

Answer 3

gluconeogenesis and lipolysis

Question 4

Which process in the cow is insulin independent?

Answer 4

Milk production

Question 5

Why are ketone bodies formed?

Answer 5

Spill over of acetyl coA

Question 6

Do cows develop ketoacidosis?

Answer 6

No, more so smallies that get this

Question 7

When do you get acidosis in cows?

Answer 7

Excess carbohydrates → VFA profile change → Lactate

Question 9

When does ketosis typically occur?

Answer 9

2-10 weeks after calving

Question 10

What are some possible causes of ketosis?

Answer 10

Hypocalcaemia, hypomag, RFM, lameness, twin carrying cows

Question 11

Why do hypocalcaemia cows get ketosis?

Answer 11

Feed intake goes down due to insufficient calcium causing decreased gut mobility

Question 12

What are the two forms of ketosis?

Answer 12

Wasting form and neurological form

Question 13

What might you expect the faeces to look like in wasting form ketosis?

Answer 13

Hard, dry and firm

Question 14

what are the signs of neurological form ketosis?

Answer 14

Sudden onset abnormal behaviour

walking in circles, head pressing

depraved appetite, licking everything

Hyperaesthesia

Question 15

How do you diagnose ketosis?

Answer 15

CLINICAL SIGNS

Blood Glucose (will be low)

Blooe beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA)

Milk and urine ketone levels (keep ketone sticks in car)

Serum NEFAs can be evaluated

Question 16

What levels of beta hydroxybutyrate are considered to be a) subclinical, b) clinical

Answer 16

a) subclinical >1.4mmol/L
b) clinical >2.5mmol/L

Question 17

How do you treat ketosis?

Answer 17

Slow Glucose drip (over about 5 hours) wean off as cow starts eating again

can give corticosteroids, supports gluconeogenesis but milk yield drops so not popular with farmers

Can give proplene glycol 250ml twice a day until the cow starts to spit it back in your face!

Question 18

What is fatty liver disease?

Answer 18

excess fat mobilisation, fat mobilised as NEFA (lipase) which gets deposited in the liver

Question 19

What BCS are fatty liver cows typically likely to be?

Answer 19

low but was high a couple of weeks ago.. fast weight loss

Question 20

When do pregnancy tozaemia and FLS tend to begin?

Answer 20

last few weeks of gestation, common with twins

Question 21

Do beef or dairy cows tend to be more likely to get pregnancy toxaemia?

Answer 21

Beef (mostly autumn calving herds)

Question 22

Pregnancy toxaemia is uncommon in ****** ewes

Answer 22

maiden

Question 23

What mineral imbalances is pregnancy tozaemia sometimes seen with?

Answer 23

hypomag hypocalcaemia

Question 24

what is the prognosis for pregnancy toxaemia in sheep?

Answer 24

generally fatal

Question 25

What are the clinical signs of pregnancy toxaemia?

Answer 25

Separate from flock, apparently blind,

Constipation

Gridning teeth

Recumbent, depression, coma

Those that recover will have woolbreak

Question 26

How do you diagnose pregnancy toxaemia in ewes?

Answer 26

Blood: NEFA, Glucose, liver enzymes (LDH, ASAT, GGT)

Milk: Fat >5%, Protein >2.5%,

Question 27

What is the treatment for pregancy toxaemia?

Answer 27

As for ketosis combined with IV fluids

Consider insulin use if glucose bolus, steroids, choline, biotin, cobalamine

Provide high quality feed, glucose precursor rich

Generally poor prognosis

Sheep: drench every 4-8 hours with rehydration solution to fix uraemia, induce parturition or caeserean

Place affected flocks IMMEDIATELY on supplementary feeding and treat early cases with propylene glycol