Ketosis in cows: causes, signs, liver health risks

What is ketosis in cows?

In veterinary medicine, ketosis is defined as the increased formation of acetone, a metabolic product, in the blood. Ketosis, also referred to as acetonemia, is a disorder of energy metabolism. It is the most important metabolic disease of the dairy cow and occurs 90% of the time during early lactation, the period with the highest energy deficit.

As the central metabolic organ, the liver is exposed to severe stress around the birth period (transit phase). A reducing feed intake is accompanied by an increasing need. This need can be very heavily or often not at all covered by the feed intake at the latest after the birth. A high-performance cow inevitably has to melt down body substance to compensate for the lack of nutrients.

In many animals in this case, the melted fat cannot be integrated into the energy metabolism because the glucose required for this is also deficient. As a result, the cow slides into a ketosis.

Ketosis is one of the most common metabolic diseases of today’s high performance cows and leads to considerable economic losses.

Are you unsure whether your cow has ketosis? Test the blood, urine or milk of the cow.

How does ketosis develop?

Feeding the high-performance cow is a tightrope walk between ketosis and acidosis. Because of the rapid increase in milk yield after calving, there is a high milk sugar release. There is also a high energy requirement for milk protein synthesis. The aim is to transform the negative energy balance into a positive one by the 50th day of lactation.

Cows are able to compensate part of the energy deficit by breaking down body fat. The use of body energy reserves of up to 25% is possible.

The rapid mobilisation of body fat promotes the development of metabolic disorders. Excessive mobilisation prevents the liver from metabolising all free fatty acids. The consequences are fatty degeneration of the liver and ketosis, which in turn favour other diseases such as mastitis, ovarian cysts, claw diseases, and endometritis.

In total, costs of €200 to €400 can be incurred per ketosis and animal. If these costs are extended across several cows, it can lead to high economic problems.

An overloaded liver can no longer function properly. Therefore your cows become more vulnerable to disease – especially ketosis.

Therefore, it is important to protect the liver and to prophylactically prevent liver damage. Learn how this is possible in the next section.

DairySafe – so that the liver does not become fatty and sluggish

The special feed JOSERA DairySafe with the LSP active ingredient package supports you so that the cow does not suffer liver damage.

DairySafe helps the liver to detoxify ammonia, form urea, detoxify bilirubin and detoxify medication.

In addition DairySafe leads to:

• lower susceptibility to disease
• better fertility
• higher feed intake for high performance
• lower culling rate

What is LSP?

DairySafe contains the innovative active agent package, LSP, the liver safety package.

A specific combination of rumen-protected active agents support the liver‘s functions. The excess fat can be removed or be metabolised better by the body. LSP is the active ingredient package with biologically active substances that supports the liver function and stabilises the metabolism in the perinatal phase.

• concentrated effectiveness
• rumen-protected active substances
• synergy effects (physiological advantages)
• much cheaper than individual substances

How does DairySafe work?

DairySafe …
… reduces fat mobilisation
… supports gluconeogenesis and increases the blood sugar level
… degreases the liver and supports its performance

The following images make the effect clear.

Figure 1: The thickness of back fat in the transit phase could be increased by DairySafe.

Figure 2: The content of β-Hydroxybutyric acid in blood (BHB) could be reduced.

How and when do I use DairySafe?

DairySafe is a special mixture for cows:

• three weeks before until five weeks after birth: up to 200g per day/animal
• for the rest of the lactation period (up to 90 days): 100 to 200g per day, in order to support the metabolism and achieve high output

What advantages does my herd have from DairySafe?

• more efficient liver
• higher milk yield
• higher profit through healthy animals

What advantages do I benefit from as a farmer through DairySafe?

• the animals are much healthier:
  • better fertility
  • conservation and improvement of liver health
• high profitability
  • more milk
  • lower vet costs
  • improved restocking
• you save time and money!
  • €300 per ketosis (milk loss, treatment, complications)
  • no metabolic and secondary diseases
  • better fertility
  • disposals due to metabolic problems

How and when do I use DairySafe?

DairySafe is a special mixture for cows:

• three weeks before until five weeks after birth: up to 200g per day/animal
• for the rest of the lactation period (up to 90 days): 100 to 200g per day, in order to support the metabolism and achieve high output

What advantages does my herd have from DairySafe?

• more efficient liver
• higher milk yield
• higher profit through healthy animals

What advantages do I benefit from as a farmer through DairySafe?

• the animals are much healthier:
  • better fertility
  • conservation and improvement of liver health
• high profitability
  • more milk
  • lower vet costs
  • improved restocking
• you save time and money!
  • €300 per ketosis (milk loss, treatment, complications)
  • no metabolic and secondary diseases
  • better fertility
  • disposals due to metabolic problems