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 spend in yards.