Ketosis in dairy cows in different systems production by Optium Xceed® and Ketovet®

Abstract

The objective of the study was to compare two portable devices (Optium Xceed® and Ketovet®) for the diagnosis of subclinical ketosis in the field; to know the prevalence of this pathology in the northwest region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, in pasture and confined systems; to evaluate the milk composition of cows at different levels of ketone bodies and blood glucose. The data were collected from three dairy farms in the county of Augusto Pestana, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, two of which were in pasture systems and one in a Compost Barn system, all the dairy cattle of the Dutch breed. With this study, it was concluded that ketosis presents a higher prevalence in the pasture system in the postpartum period due to the high energy requirement for the milk production of the animals; both Ketovet® and Optium® devices are effective in the diagnosis of subclinical ketosis regardless of the period (pre or postpartum) and the systems evaluated (pasture or confined) and the occurrence of subclinical ketosis does not cause significant changes in the milk composition of cows. Ketosis is a subject of extreme importance in dairy cattle, being a subject found daily in the veterinary routine, revealing that it is possible to perform the diagnosis quickly and with low cost to the field, making it possible to avoid sanitary and financial losses to the herds.