Agricultural Science Digest
Vol. 10, July - August 1967
PURDUE UNIVERSITY

KETOSIS TREATMENT

Ketosis is a metabolic disease character-
ized by low glucose and high ketone levels in
the blood. The cause of the disease is not
yet fully understood. In sheep, it occurs
during the last months of pregnancy and may
cause the death of newborn lambs and/or the
loss of the dam herself. In cattle, the dis-
ease occurs concurrently with heavy lacta-
tion and results in decreased milk produc-
tion. These economic losses and the vague-
ness of the cause of the disease have led to
the formulation of a wide variety of products
for the treatment of this disorder.

Using three treatments for ketosis,
namely: glucagon, isophane insulin and oral
glycerol, Purdue scientists investigated their
effect on the hypoglycemia and ketosis of
fasted-phlorizin treated nonpregnant ewes.

The results showed that the addition of
glucagon increased blood glucose and de-
creased blood ketone levels in hypoglycemic,
ketonemic sheep, but had no effect on the
nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA)level. Gluca-
gon may exhibit similar beneficial effects in
ketosis of pregnant ewes. Glycerol and iso-
phane insulin were shown to be beneficial in
the rapid correction of hypoglycemia and
ketonemia observed in phlorizin-diabetic
sheep.

Although glycerol alone depressed the
high ketone and NEFA levels, insulin was re-
quired initially to suppress the hypergly-
cemia induced by glycerol. This condition
appears to be similar to ovine ketosis. The
demand of the fetus on the maternal ewe at
the terminal stage of pregnancy may induce
hypoglycemia and cause functional diabetes.

Therefore, a combination of glycerol and iso-
phane insulin may give initial advantage in
correcting abnormal blood constituents of
ewes in ketosis. However, 12 hours after
the initial treatment, glycerol alone can be
just as effective as the combination of the
two.
Journal Paper no. 2926, C. A. Burtis,
H. F. Troutt, G. D. Goetsch and H. D.
Jackson, Department of Biochemistry and
Veterinary Science.
* * * *

FEED ABSORPTION
IN RUMINANT ANIMALS

Volatile faty acids are metabolic end
products of microbial fermentation which are
the most important source of energy for the
ruminant animal body. Past studies in the
production and absorption in the ruminants
were made in the rumen but little has been
done in the lower digestive tract.

When the volatile fatty acids are metabo-
lized and oxidized it accounts for 70 percent
of the energy used by the animals. Most ru-
minants need 7 pounds of feed to produce a
pound of weight. If the volatile fatty acids
produced from feeds could be converted into
body tissue rather than heat energy less feed
would be needed to produce a pound of gain.
This could considerably reduce the feed cost
of ruminants.

A recent investigation was made of the
production and absorption of volatile fatty
acids in the caecum of sheep. Using a new
technique of studying in vivo digestion and
absorption, Purdue scientists found that the

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