Ketone - Meter

TEST ON KETOSIS WITH KETONE METER:

To establish if an animal suffers from ketosis and requires treatment

WHEN TO USE THE KETONE METER:

Sheep, goat: before or straight after lambing
Cow: just before until 3-6 weeks after calving (risk period)

HOW TO INTERPRET THE RESULT OF THE KETONE METER:

• 0,0 – 0,8 no (sub)clinical ketosis
• > 0,8 (sub)clinical ketosis

ACTION:

• If >0,8 treatment required

Sheep/goat:

• Treat with 2,5 ml Recovite per 50 kg in the vein or in the muscle
• Treat with 150 ml propylene glycol 2 times daily orally during 3-5 days
• When diagnosed with ketosis before lambing, it is sometimes necessary to make the decision to treat the ewe/doe with 1ml of dexamethasone/Glucadex per 50 kg bodyweight in the vein or in the muscle. The ewe/doe will abort due to this injection, but will survive the ketosis. When no action is taken, she will certainly die.
• When diagnosed with ketosis after lambing, it is no problem to treat with 1 ml of dexamethasone per 50 kg bodyweight in the vein or in the muscle.
• Cow:
• Treat with 1 ml dexamethasone/Glucadex per 50 kg in the vein or in the muscle
• Treat with 2,5 ml Recovite per 50 kg in the vein or in the muscle
• Treat with 250 ml propylene glycol 2 times daily orally during 3-5 days

EVALUATION OF THE TREATMENT:

• If the animal recovers and starts eating again, treatment has been successful.
• Ketone bodies can be elevated in the blood for quite a while, but should decrease in time.
• If the ketone bodies in the blood increase, treatment should be repeated.