 AVS 2030 October 2, 2013

 Cows are considered “fresh” for the first 21 days post-calving  This is the period of most stress o Starting a new/first lactation o Transitioning from dry cow to lactating ration o Milk production increasing o New/different housing & penmates o She just had a baby with no maternal leave!

 High stress level can lead to immunosuppression  Should be monitored closely for the first 3 weeks  Prevention is key!  Early treatment is essential  A bad start can lead to a bad lactation

 Overcrowding  Inadequate/infrequent feeding  Poor quality feed  Poor quality water  Heat/cold stress  Competition  Dystocia  Fat or Thin Cows

 Milk Fever  Displaced Abomasum  Ketosis  Metritis

 Milk fever = low blood Calcium (hypocalcemia)  Role of Calcium o Production of milk o Structure of bones and teeth o Cardiac and skeletal muscle function Movement and heart function o Smooth muscle function Gastrointestinal tract Uterus

 Clinical Milk Fever o Cow is weak or recumbent (down) o Extremities and ears are cold o Muscle twitching  Subclinical Milk Fever o Cow does not appear sick or weak o Manifests as other diseases Displaced abomasum Retained placenta

 If left untreated, these cows can die  Treatment depends on the status of the animal o Clinical Milk Fever IV 23% Calcium Gluconate GO SLOW!!!! o Subclinical or Mild Milk Fever Oral Calcium supplements Drenches, boluses, gels, etc.

 4 compartments of the cow stomach: o Rumen o Reticulum o Omasum o Abomasum

Rumen

 Usually something else going on  Cow off feed o Rumen Empty Too much free space in abdomen  Subclinical hypocalcemia o Decreased gastrointestinal motility  Abomasum fills with air and flips

 Left Sided DA o LDAs are more common o Require treatment but can be managed medically until veterinarian can perform surgery o Medical therapy alone may be used more likely to recur o Cows generally eating the next day and back to normal in a few days

 Right Sided DA o RDAs are less common o VETERINARY EMERGENCY o Much poorer results after surgery o Often becomes a torsion cuts off blood supply to abomasum o Greater electrolyte imbalances o These cows are very sick

 Diagnosis o Characteristic high pitched ping Penny in a well Overinflated basketball Usually between elbow and hip bone o Other structures can ping too Rumen Gas-filled intestines Cecum

 Treatment o Medical management Roll the cow to replace the abomasum Fluids and drenches o Surgical management Left, right, or ventral approach Suture the abomasum or surrounding tissue back into “normal” anatomical position Roll and toggle

 Cow is in Negative Energy Balance o Energy requirement > Energy Intake o Cannot keep up with demands of production  Fat is mobilized from body stores o Travels to the liver o Metabolized into ketones  Excess ketones in circulation make the cow sick – worsening cycle  Extreme cases can affect CNS function o Nervous ketosis

 Diagnosis o Fresh cow off feed o Characteristic acetone smell on breath o Blood, Milk, and Urine Ketone Tests Blood most accurate Milk least accurate Urine dipstick very convenient

 Treatment o First line of treatment is oral propylene glycol Precursor of glucose o IV 50% Dextrose solution Must go IV or can cause severe swelling/necrosis o Corticosteroid injection Helps with glucose metabolism in liver Slows down milk production to allow cow to catch up o Commercially available gels and drenches o May require treatment for multiple days

 Metritis = inflammation of the uterus  Bacteria contaminate the uterus during or just after calving  Warm, moist environment for bacteria to multiply  Predisposed by dystocia, dirty calving environment, dirty calving equipment, and retained placenta

 Diagnosis o Putrid, foul smelling vaginal discharge o Discharge red to brown in color o Cow may appear normal to systemically ill o +/- fever

 Treatment o Supportive Care NSAIDs (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory) Banamine (flunixin meglumine) Aspirin Antibiotics if systemically ill Not always necessary Intrauterine lavage or treatment May or may not be beneficial May cause more harm than good

 Mastitis  Pneumonia  Indigestion  Cecal Torsion  Bloat  Hoof Abscesses  Laminitis  Etc.

 If cows transition well and eat as much as possible we can avoid all of these issues  It is our job to make the transition as easy as possible.