Antenatal prophylaxis of acute digestive disorders in calves

Abstract

Among the diseases of young cattle of non-contagious aetiology, an important place is occupied by the pathology of the digestive system. In particular, dyspepsia, casein-bezoar disease, colostrum toxicosis, and diarrhoea are characteristic of the above pathologies. A familiar name, acute digestive disorders, unites these diseases. That is why it is essential to correct the metabolism of calves. The aim of the study is to investigate the effectiveness of antenatal prophylaxis for acute digestive disorders in calves of the neonatal period with the addition of propylene glycol to the diet of cows during the transient period, which increases the amount of propionic acid in the rumen and chlorophyll, which affects lipid metabolism and prevents fatty liver infiltration and ketosis. It was determined that the addition of propylene glycol and Cholin-Chloridum to the diet of cows during the transient period influenced the change in the content of β-hydroxybutyrate (HTA) and the amount of ketone bodies in the blood of animals in the experimental group of animals. In the experimental group of animals, these indicators were lower in the control group, by 35% of β-hydroxybutyrate and 44% by the sum of ketone bodies. During the transient period, especially in the first months after calving, cows experience an energy deficit, so ketone bodies are formed to compensate for glucose deficiency. Since propylene glycol and Cholin- Chloridum increased the glucose concentration in the blood, the need for synthesising ketone bodies decreased.