Ketosis

[jerseycowsman]

hi all, we've had 9 cows with ketosis so far this spring (we spring block calve). We might get 1 or 2 most years. It's a hell of a jobbto get them back too. They've had a full course of keto said and steroids. This brings their blood ketones back to where they should be, but they still don't look right or milk right. what else can I do and why is it so bad this year?

 

[bigw]

Have you tried using kexxtone boluses?

 

[Devon lad]

We spring block calve xbreds, not noticed any more ketosis this year, I try to transition them to all grass diet with grass in day with silage and in at night over 4 days in colostrum mob being oad milked. Once in herd they would be on 3-4 kgs of parlour cake and grass only. If they develop ketosis in main herd they get 3 days of ketosis, go back to colostrum mob for 7 days on oad, when they look better and milk is back they go back in main herdcsnd stay on oad for 3-4 weeks

 

[Farmer Fin]

hi all, we've had 9 cows with ketosis so far this spring (we spring block calve). We might get 1 or 2 most years. It's a hell of a jobbto get them back too. They've had a full course of keto said and steroids. This brings their blood ketones back to where they should be, but they still don't look right or milk right. what else can I do and why is it so bad this year?

Have they been checked for a DA? What’s the dry cow feeding been like?

 

[jerseycowsman]

Have you tried using kexxtone boluses?

Might consider it, it's a range of ages from heifers right up through to old birds

 

[bigw]

We have found kexxtone very good for getting cows back on track.

 

[jerseycowsman]

Have they been checked for a DA? What’s the dry cow feeding been like?

Yeah, not DAs. They have been in good condition, maybe too good. That is the main difference from last year, the silage they've been on is perhaps to good for dry cows

 

[Devon lad]

Yeah, not DAs. They have been in good condition, maybe too good. That is the main difference from last year, the silage they've been on is perhaps to good for dry cows

To be fair we fed a lot of straw this winter due to lack of silage, and I’d say condition was spot on, we normally struggle to keep our girls from getting too fat especially the late calving ones.

 

[Hotspur]

Kexxtone bolus 2 weeks pre calving to prevent/reduce ketosis. For clinical cases I pump them with Glycerol + seems to work better than faffing about with proplene glycol. Once the ketones are back to normal the milk should recover quickly unless the have a DA or fatty liver.

 

[jerseycowsman]

Kexxtone bolus 2 weeks pre calving to prevent/reduce ketosis. For clinical cases I pump them with Glycerol + seems to work better than faffing about with proplene glycol. Once the ketones are back to normal the milk should recover quickly unless the have a DA or fatty liver.

How much glycerol do you give them and where do you get it?

 

[Blue.]

How much glycerol do you give them and where do you get it?

Bought ours off eBay in the past,google is your friend.

 

[More to life]

hi all, we've had 9 cows with ketosis so far this spring (we spring block calve). We might get 1 or 2 most years. It's a hell of a jobbto get them back too. They've had a full course of keto said and steroids. This brings their blood ketones back to where they should be, but they still don't look right or milk right. what else can I do and why is it so bad this year?

It’s no help this year but feed more straw to your drys next year.

 

[Cows 'n grass]

We've probably had a few more cases than usual this year as well but nothing that didn't come right with a few days of ketol drenching. Mine were calving on better quality silage than they usually would to.

 

[lazy farmer]

It will be down to condition score. Feed a lot of straw this winter to balance the Pk we had to have the vet to treat 2017s winter milking cow.
She was condition score 6!
We too put anything struggling on OAD.

 

[Hotspur]

How much glycerol do you give them and where do you get it?

Get ours from the Vet as only use a few a year now, normally one bottle will sort them out.

 

[ollie989898]

Glycerol or Propylene glycol. Easy. Shouldnt be getting scores of them though. Something wrong with diet or late lactation and dry cow management.

Dont let stale or dry cows get hold of too much to eat. Keep em lean and keen. Not easy in some systems though.

 

[jerseycowsman]

Glycerol or Propylene glycol. Easy. Shouldnt be getting scores of them though. Something wrong with diet or late lactation and dry cow management.

Dont let stale or dry cows get hold of too much to eat. Keep em lean and keen. Not easy in some systems though.

I think that is it, used to feed them high roughage bales, now all clamp for what I thought was ease of management, perhaps I'll have to let one of the cuts get a bit more mature.
Although it's all a range of condition scores that are getting the issue, not just fat ones, that's why I'm a little frustrated and exasperated with it.
Perhaps I need to up the dose of glycol too to get them over it, may have been too stingy

 

[lazy farmer]

It’s not the amount but the length of time you dose them for. Too much per dose and they’ll just pee it out.

 

[jerseycowsman]

It’s not the amount but the length of time you dose them for. Too much per dose and they’ll just pee it out.

Been doing it for 5 days

 

[buffalo_soldier]

500ml dose, I think you can go as low as 300ml but don't quote me on that.
4-5 days glycol + steroid is the goto treatment.

Kexxtone does a good job on at risk cows, if your getting a range of clinical cases. Targeting the bolus will be difficult.

Pre calving measures work the best, but that arrow is shot.

Only other thing is ensure enough carbohydrates in the post calving diet. As I would be concerned getting a range of BCS cases and ages going clinical, there could be more sub clinical cases.