Study on blood gases, Acid-Base balance and the therapeutic evaluation of different protocol of treatment of mastitic cows

Abdulkarim Jafar Karim

doi:10.30539/iraqijvm.v29i2.856

Abstract

This study was planned to reveal the changes in blood gases and acid-basevalues in mastitic cows and to state the intravenous fluid therapy regimentreatment. A herd with a population of 150 lactating cows was screened forclinical and subclinical mastitis for a period of 6 months. Based on inclusion andexclusion criteria, twenty-eight cows with clinical mastitis were divided in threegroups (mastitic not treated (group M), mastitic treated with antibiotic only(group TA) and mastitic treated with antibiotic and fluid therapy (group TAF)and another five healthy cows (group C) served as controls. Blood gases, SCC,CMT scores, udder health status and cure rate were carefully investigated. Therewas significant differences between PO2, PCO2, BE, and HCO3-concentration inmastitic cows. Increased pH, BE, and HCO3- referred to metabolic alkalosiswhereas increased PCO2 indicate compensatory respiratory acidosis. The resultsof SCC in milk agreed to CMT scores, and to some extent to udder health statusamong the entire period of study. Cure rate was earlier in group TAF with lessnumber of treatment than in group TA. It has been concluded from this studythat administration of fluid therapy might be useful as an adjunct in case ofclinical mastitis in cows to get quick clinical recovery with less number oftreatments. However, the role of blood gases and acid – base status in mastitisshould be investigated in details.

Highlights

Mastitis continues to be a problem of serious concern for dairy industry as well as public health throughout the world
In addition to that intramammary infusion of antibiotics has been reported to suprpress the various activities of infiltrated polymorphnuclear leukocytes (PMNL) in mastitis udder (5), none of the available antibiotics have been proven to have more than 60% efficacy in field conditions against major mastitis pathogens (2) and the use of fluid therapy was often excluded
Duration of antibiotic treatment was longer in group TA (5 days) than in group TAF (3 - 4 days)

Summary

Introduction

Mastitis continues to be a problem of serious concern for dairy industry as well as public health throughout the world. Subclinical mastitis causes 18% and clinical form causes 50% milk loss in dairy cows (2). Economic importance is revealed by milk dumped for antibiotics, veterinary costs, labor costs, poor conditioned suckling calves, culling and death costs, and lost milk premiums through i.) Increased somatic cell counts, ii.) Decreased fat, and iii.) Decreased protein. It seems to be the most prevalent (35 to 40 cases/year per 100 cows) and the most costly disease in dairy cattle in the USA with losses exceeds $ 2 billion/year (3,4). In addition to that intramammary infusion of antibiotics has been reported to suprpress the various activities of infiltrated polymorphnuclear leukocytes (PMNL) in mastitis udder (5), none of the available antibiotics have been proven to have more than 60% efficacy in field conditions against major mastitis pathogens (2) and the use of fluid therapy was often excluded

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Conclusion