COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF KETONE BODIES IN BLOOD AND URINE FOR THE DETECTION OF SUBCLINICAL KETOSIS IN POSTPARTUM BUFFALOES

Abstract

Buffaloes are one of the major contributors of milk production in Pakistan. Like other dairy animals, it also faces a variety of metabolic disorders right after parturition. Among these problems ketosis is a major one in high producing buffaloes when energy demands (e.g. high milk production) exceed energy intake and result in a negative energy balance. When large amount of body fat is utilized as an energy source to support production, fat is sometimes mobilized faster than the liver can properly metabolize it. If this situation occurs, ketone production exceeds ketone utilization by the animal, and ketosis results. At early stage Sub-clinical ketosis occurs which if not detected and controlled proceeds to clinical ketosis that has economic impact in terms of both production and reproduction losses. Early detection of sub-clinical ketosis is of vital importance to minimize thesubsequent losses associated with this condition. Many studies have been conducted in past to diagnose sub-clinical ketosis in cattle, but a very little data is available for buffaloes. This study was aimed to compare digital ketometer and conventional urine strips method to detect Ketone bodies in blood and urine samples respectively for the early diagnosis of subclinical ketosis in buffaloes. For this purpose, blood (n=100) and urine (n=100) samples were collected from buffaloes at post-partum period, from three different herds and were processed for the presence of ketone bodies. The data obtained from both cow-side detection assays was analyzed statistically. The results of this research study laid the foundation of early detection of sub-clinical ketosis in buffaloes that was made possible using the cowside Abott Optium Neo Ketometer.