Use of corticosteroids alone or combined with glucose to treat ketosis in dairy cows.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To compare relative efficacy of dexamethasone and flumethasone alone or in combination with rapid IV infusion of glucose for treatment of ketosis in cattle.

DESIGN:

Clinical trial.

ANIMALS:

127 cows with urine acetoacetate concentration > or = 60 mg/dl.

PROCEDURE:

Cows were treated with 500 ml of 50% glucose solution. IV, and 40 mg of dexamethasone, IM (group 1), 40 mg of dexamethasone, IM (group 2), 5 mg of flumethasone (group 3), or 500 ml of 50% glucose solution, IV, and 5 mg of flumethasone (group 4). Treatment success was defined as recovery after a single treatment without relapse during the same lactation. Uterine disease (retained placenta or metritis), parity, and pretreatment plasma glucose, serum beta-hydroxybutyric acid, and urine acetoacetate concentrations were evaluated as possible confounding factors affecting recovery.

RESULTS:

Only uterine disease was found to have a significant effect on recovery. Treatments 1 and 4 were significantly more efficacious than was treatment 2, but efficacy of treatment 2 was not significantly different from that of treatment 3. Regardless of treatment, cows with uterine disease were less likely to have a successful outcome than were cows without uterine disease. In all treatment groups, plasma glucose concentration increased and serum beta-hydroxybutyric acid and urine acetoacetate concentrations decreased following treatment.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS:

In this study, treatment of ketosis in dairy cattle with a corticosteriod alone was less efficacious than treatment with glucose and a corticosteroid.

• Authors: N Y Shpigel, R Chen, Y Avidar, E Bogin
• Journal: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (J Am Vet Med Assoc) Vol. 208 Issue 10 Pg. 1702-4 (May 15 1996) ISSN: 0003-1488 [Print] United States
• PMID: 8641955 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Comparative Study, Controlled Clinical Trial, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Acetoacetates
• Blood Glucose
• Glucocorticoids
• Hydroxybutyrates
• Solutions
• Dexamethasone
• Glucose
• Flumethasone
• 3-Hydroxybutyric Acid

Topics

• 3-Hydroxybutyric Acid
• Acetoacetates (urine)
• Animals
• Blood Glucose (analysis)
• Cattle
• Cattle Diseases (drug therapy)
• Dexamethasone (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Drug Therapy, Combination
• Female
• Flumethasone (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Glucocorticoids (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Glucose (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Hydroxybutyrates (blood)
• Infusions, Intravenous (veterinary)
• Injections, Intramuscular (veterinary)
• Ketosis (drug therapy, veterinary)
• Lactation
• Odds Ratio
• Regression Analysis
• Solutions