Some Blood Markers of the Functional State of Liver in Dairy Cows with Clinical Ketosis

Metabolic disorders in animals are one of the most important problems in modern cattle production. The paper presents results characterising the functional state of the liver in dairy cows with clinical ketosis. The study was conducted on 17 Holstein cows (9 of them were clinically healthy with negative test for ketone bodies in urine and 8 with positive test) in their second to fourth lactation with milk yield above 8,000 kg per previous lactation. Conducted research has shown that cows affected with ketosis, had hypoglycaemia, dysproteinaemia, hypoalbuminaemia, increased liver enzymes and higher blood content of aromatic and sulfur-containing amino acids. Herewith the activity of cholinesterase and phospholipids were decreased. Albumins-globulins ratio and esterified to total cholesterol ratio was decreased in conditions associated with liver pathology due to clinical ketosis. Sick cows had signs of secondary osteodystrophy. Obtained results allowed us concluding that dairy cows ketosis caused significant changes in structural and functional state of liver, associated with abnormalities in of serum proteins synthesis, disturbed metabolism of amino acids, lipids and calcium.