Overview: Welfare analysis of ketosis in dairy cows, a common periparturient metabolic disease with significant suffering.
Key Welfare Facts
Ketosis occurs when energy demands of early lactation exceed intake, causing fat mobilisation and ketone body accumulation.
Clinical ketosis causes loss of appetite, reduced milk yield, sweet-smelling breath, and neurological signs.
Subclinical ketosis affects up to 40% of dairy cows in the first 2 weeks after calving in some herds.
Affected cows have impaired immune function, increasing susceptibility to mastitis, metritis, and lameness.
Treatment with propylene glycol, insulin, and glucocorticoids is effective when initiated promptly.
Prevention through good dry cow nutrition, body condition management, and monitoring of at-risk cows is key.
Welfare Assessment
Ketosis causes widespread metabolic welfare compromise that cascades into secondary disease. Prevention through excellent dry cow and transition cow management offers far greater welfare benefits than reactive treatment of established disease.
What You Can Do
Implement dry cow nutrition programmes targeting optimal body condition score at calving
Screen fresh cows for subclinical ketosis using on-farm ketone testing for 2 weeks post-calving
Treat subclinical ketosis early to prevent progression to clinical disease and secondary conditions
Review total mixed ration composition with a nutritionist to optimise energy balance in fresh cows