Use of a Bovine Nose Twitch, Bilge Pump, and Milk Test for Ketosis

Abstract

Bovine Nose Twitch. A bovine nose twitch, which has much the same effect as an equine nose twitch used in a horse, is available for use in cattle. Bovine nose twitches are commonly used in Europe, where they are sometimes referred to as Reetz nose holders.¹ I first saw one of these twitches when a student brought one back from Ireland. It looked strange but worked impressively.

Bilge Pump. A large capacity, plastic pump comes in very handy when delivering large volumes of oral solutions to cattle. I have found that a standard plastic bilge pump designed to bail water from sailboats works both inexpensively and effectively.

Milk Test for Ketosis. Diagnosis of ketosis in postpartum dairy cows is difficult if you cannot get the cow to urinate or if you cannot detect the odor of ketones on the cow's breath. In such cases, I use a ketone test powder (Ketonate™, Labanco Inc., Box 483, Addison, IL 60101) to test for milk ketones.