Clinical Findings:
- Most cases develop 1-3 weeks before parturition
- Weakness, dull attitude, poor appetite
- Inability to rise
- Apparent blindness, staring off into space
- Constipation usual; feces are dry and scanty
- Grinding of teeth
- As disease progresses, nervous signs appears
- Aimless wandering fine muscle tremor
- Circling Opisthotonus ataxia
- Muscle twitching grinding of teeth sternal Recumbency, coma and death
Diagnosis:
- Based on clinical findings
- Clinical pathology
- Glucose level is below 25 mg% (normal – 40-60 mg/dL)
- Ketonemia; 100-1000 mg/dL (Normal- 10 mg/dL)
- Ketonuria; 80-1300 mg/dL (Normal- 50-70 mg/dL)
- Milk ketone: 40 mg/dL (Normal = 3-10 mg/dL)
Treatment:
- Electrolytes and glucose 5% given over a prolonged period of time
- Propylene glycol 60 ml, PO, every 12 hr. for 3 days
- Oral supplementation with calcium; 12.5 g calcium lactate and potassium; 7.5 g KCl
- Administration of protamine zinc insulin @ 0.4 U/kg, SC every 24 hours
- Commercial electrolyte solution containing glucose may be drenched with help of stomach tubes @3-4 L, every 6 hour
- Induction of pregnancy if doe or ewe is thin or over conditioned. It can be done by administering dexamethasone 20 mg IV or IM
- Prostaglandin; Dinoprost 10 mg IM or closprostenol @ 75 mcg/45 kg, b.wt.
- Hypoglycemia may be treated by a single injection of 50% dextrose @60-100 mL IV followed by fluid therapy with electrolyte containing 5% dextrose.
- In case, fetus are dead, Penicillin @ 20,000 IU/kg, IM every 24 hours for upto 5 days
- Calcium borogluconate @ 50-100 mL can be administered safely without serum biochemistry data.
- Administration of Flunixin meglumin acetate @2.5 mg/kg, improves survival rates of ewes and their lambs.
Control Measures:
- Ewes or does should not enter last 6 weeks of gestation with a BCS <2.5/5. It can be prevented by good feeding management.
- Grain is required as source of carbohydrate during last 6 weeks of gestation.
- Adequate exercise should be provided especially in late pregnancy.
- Provision of plenty, clean, fresh water at all times.
- USG examination of ewe or doe to determine twinning and management carried out according to no. of fetus.