Characterization of metabolic profile, health, milk production, and reproductive outcomes of dairy cows diagnosed with concurrent hyperketonemia and hypoglycemia

Abstract

The objective of this prospective cohort study was to characterize the metabolic profile, health, milk production, and reproductive outcomes of cows diagnosed with hyperketonemia (HK; β-hydroxybutyrate ≥1.2 mmol/L), hypoglycemia (HG; glucose ≤2.2 mmol/L), or concurrent HK and HG (HKHG). Glucose and β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations in whole blood were assessed using a handheld device (Precision Xtra, Abbott Laboratories) in lactating dairy cows (n = 2,418) between 3 and 9 d postpartum. Cows were categorized into 4 groups: no HK or HG (healthy; Norm = 1,821), HK only (HK = 232), HG only (HG = 161), and concurrent HK and HG (HKHG = 204). Subsequent milk production, along with health and reproductive outcomes, as recorded by farm personnel, were analyzed according to metabolic category. Serum collected on the day of cow-side diagnosis of hyperketonemia and hypoglycemia was evaluated for total calcium (tCa), magnesium (Mg), nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), triglycerides (TG), and urea using an automated chemistry analyzer (Randox Daytona; Randox Laboratories Ltd.). Statistical analysis was carried out using SAS version 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc.). Hyperketonemia in multiparous cows was associated with greater incidence of metabolic abnormalities (hypomagnesemia, hypocalcemia, and elevated NEFA and urea). Hyperketonemia in primiparous and multiparous cows led to increased adverse health events (culling rate, retained fetal membranes, puerperal metritis, clinical ketosis, left displaced abomasum) relative to Norm cows. Multiparous cows with HKHG had fewer metabolic disturbances (hypomagnesemia, hypocalcemia, elevated NEFA) than HK cows. Cows with HKHG had an increased incidence of clinical ketosis and left displaced abomasum relative to Norm cows. Cows with HG had similar metabolic profiles to Norm cows and had lower incidence of retained fetal membranes and puerperal metritis than cows with HK. Multiparous cows with HG produced more milk than Norm cows from wk 10 to 20, whereas multiparous cows with HK produced less milk than Norm cows. For primiparous cows, HK did not have a negative effect on milk production compared with Norm cows.

A randomized controlled trial examining the effects of treatment with propylene glycol and injectable cyanocobalamin on naturally occurring disease, milk production, and reproductive outcomes of dairy cows diagnosed with concurrent hyperketonemia and hypoglycemia

“…It could be hypothesized then that cows with HG would produce less milk due to the efficient uptake of glucose by nonmammary cells. Surprisingly we found that was not the case in our concurrent study (Hubner et al, 2022) nor in the previous study by Ruoff et al (2017) where hypoglycemic cows produced the greatest quantity of milk. Even though the mammary gland does contain glucose transporters that operate independently of insulin, it is also true that mammary tissue has insulin-dependent glucose transporters (Zhao, 2014).…”

“…Our study may help to explain some of this variation. Although mean glucose at enrollment was consistent across the 3 farms in this study, farm had an effect for the proportion of HKHG cows enrolled into our concurrent study (Hubner et al, 2022). Even though we observed a milk production response to treatment among HKHG cows in our study detected by 305ME, this response was not present among HK cows.…”

“…It would be expected that low blood glucose would favor lipolysis and that hypoglycemic cows would also have increased nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) concentrations in blood (Herdt, 2000;Boden, 2011). However, that was not the case for the cows in our concurrent study where hypoglycemic cows had lower serum NEFA concentration (Hubner et al, 2022). It is also recognized that NEFA inhibit nonhepatic tissues from using glucose primarily by inhibiting insulin-dependent glucose transport, thereby increasing blood glucose (Cadórniga-Valiño et al, 1997;Boden, 2011).…”

“…Farm personnel that determined adverse health events were the same as those administering treatment for those cows that qualified, and therefore there was no blinding for determination of adverse health events except for mastitis which was diagnosed by different farm personnel in the milking parlor. Health monitoring and recording was performed as described in Hubner et al (2022). Breifly, each farm performed daily health monitoring of cows in the first 21 d postpartum.…”

“…Cows that were deemed to have decreased feed intake based on these observations were further examined. Examination on all farms is described in Hubner et al (2022). Cows that were detected with apparent decreased feed intake, determined to have clinical ketosis, and had previously been enrolled in the study as a treatment or control cow were switched to the farm's standard treatment for clinical ketosis.…”