Treatment of subclinical ketosis in dairy cattle with a product containing cianocobalamine and butafosfan (Catosal®)

SUMMARY Subclinical ketosis or hyperketonaemia of the dairy cow is a disease originating from the high milk yield and causing primarily economic loss. Measuring beta-hydroxybutyrate concentration in the blood at cow side provides sufficient amount of information about the incidence of the disease. Our study involved 444 animals in 5 Hungarian dairy farms. After diagnosing subclinical ketosis (BHB > 1 mmol/l) the animals were treated daily 20 ml of butafosfan/cianocobalamin (Catosal®) im. for 3 consecutive days. The non-treated group received no other treatment beside the treatment of the primary disease. BHB was measured at calving time (Days 0–3), and 10 and 18 days after calving. BHB decreased continuously along the measurement points in both groups. However, the average BHB level of the treated group decreased below the threshold level already on 10th day after calving. Comparing clinical diseases after calving, some selected production and reproductive diseases no significant differences were found, but the service period and culling rate after 200 DIM was better in the treated group. Based on these results better production could be reached using this vitamin combination. To classify the differences in the results more detailed examinations with larger number of animals are required