Fat Cow Syndrome

Dr. Vivek Kr. Singh

Assistant Professor

Department of Veterinary Clinical Complex

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UNIT-3

Synonyms

• FATTY LIVER IN CATTLE

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• FAT-MOBILIZATION SYNDROME

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• HEPATIC LIPIDOSIS

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• PREGNANCY TOXEMIA IN CATTLE

Introduction

• It is a disease of high producing cows

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• Overfed cattle during dry period may develop fatty liver syndrome just before or after calving (Transition period)

Etiology

• Mobilization of excessive body fat to liver during periods of negative energy balance at time of parturition or in early lactation of dairy cows and late pregnancy of beef cows

Pathogenesis

Increase energy demands + Reduced feed intake

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Negative Energy Balance

Mobilization of fat from reserve

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Fat is transported to liver for gluconeogenesis

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Ruminant liver has limited capacity to transport VLDL

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Hepatic Lipidosis

Clinical findings

• Anorexia
• Depression
• Weakness
• Persistent weight loss
• Recombency
• Ketosis (Do not respond to glucose treatment)
• Some animals show nervous signs like star gazing and tremors of head and neck
• Coma and death

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Necropsy Findings

• Gross enlargement of liver

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• Liver is pale yellow in color

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• Greasy and friable

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• Histopathology reveals

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• Enlarged hepatocytes with fatty changes

Diagnosis

• Elevated NEFA
• Ketone bodies
• Eleveted LDH
• Tatal bilirubin
• AST
• GGT
• The liver sample which floats in water and copper sulphate solution having sp. Gravity ranging between 1.025 – 1.055 indicates presence of 34% lipid content in the sample

Treatment

• Continuous supplementation of glucose along with calcium and magnesium salt to correct negative energy balance
• Long acting protamine zinc insuline @ 200 units/ cow every 12 hrly
• S/c administration of choline chloride (25 g in 250 ml NSS)
• Niacin@ 6-12g/cow/day helps in reducing hepatic lipidosis
• Antioxidants
• Anabolic steroids @300mg/cow

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Thank You

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