Evaluation of a routine testing for ketonuria and aciduria in the detection of sub and clinical ketosis associated with overfeeding in dairy cattle

Abstract

1162 adult cows were examined for urine ketone concentration and reaction 7 to 14 days after parturition and 165 were further examined for serum aspartate aminotransferase (SGOT) and for ketonaemia. The rate of clinical ketosis, that of SGOT over 40 u/l and that of aciduria were all found to rise with the urine acetoacetate concentration. The rate of clinical ketosis and the mean SGOT of cows with aciduria were higher than of those with a basic reaction of the urine at all concentrations of urine acetoacetate. Ketonuria was better correlated to clinical ketosis than either ketonaemia and SGOT. Ketonaemia was highly correlated to ketonuria. Using routine urine testing, the rate of discovery of clinical ketosis has been rising from 4.3% to 15.6% in all herds examined. It is concluded that the combined testing for ketonuria and aciduria is a simple and reliable diagnostic aid which greatly minimizes the high rate of false discoveries associated with ketonuria.