Ketosis is one of the most common metabolic diseases in dairy cows, occurring at peak lactation when energy demands overwhelm intake. It causes suffering and economic loss.
Ketosis causes genuine suffering in affected cows. Clinical ketosis creates weakness, disorientation, and reduced ability to compete for feed - worsening the energy deficit that caused the condition. Cows with nervous ketosis may show bizarre behavior, sometimes mistaken for other conditions. The cascade effect - where ketosis precipitates metritis, mastitis, and other painful conditions - means a single metabolic failure can result in weeks of suffering. Subclinical ketosis, while less dramatic, chronically compromises immune function and reproductive success, indicating persistent physiological stress.