Metabolic Diseases Overview
Introduction:
In late pregnancy and early lactation, ewes and cows are under great metabolic stress.
Their foetuses grow fast in late pregnancy, and after giving birth they have to produce a lot of milk.
If their feeding is interrupted, eg by bad weather or by yarding, they can easily be tipped into fatal metabolic imbalance.
The result may be:
Hypomagnesaemia (also called grass staggers in cows)
Acetonaemia (also called sleepy sickness or pregnancy toxaemia or twin lamb disease in ewes and ketosis in cows),
Hypocalcaemia (also called milk fever in cows).
General Indications:
In all these diseases the first signs are usually a change of behaviour.
This can be dullness, progressing to the stage where the animals go down unable to rise, or agitation with trembling and nervousness leading to convulsions.
It is wise to discuss treatment options with a veterinarian before cases develop.
It is very important to call a veterinarian at the first sign of trouble.
Emergency treatment is vital if the animal is to survive.
Many cows have residual liver damage caused by facial eczema in autumn and this could predispose them to metabolic disease.
Other predisposing factors include poor body condition, a check-in feed supply, cold wet windy weather and the stress of yarding or transportation.
To prevent metabolic diseases, farmers should try to keep their feed supply steady or increasing, provide sheltered paddocks in bad weather and minimise the time stock spends in yards.
