title: Effects of a combination butaphosphan and cyanocobalamin product and insulin on ketosis resolution and milk production.
abstract: The objective of this study was to determine the effects of butaphosphan-cyanocobalamin (B+C), glargine insulin, and propylene glycol on resolution of ketosis and average daily milk yield after treatment. Cows from 16 herds in Ontario, Canada, and 1 herd in Michigan were tested at weekly intervals between 3 and 16 DIM. Ketosis was defined as blood β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) ≥1.2 mmol/L. All ketotic cows were given a baseline treatment of 3 d of 300 g of propylene glycol orally. Animals were then randomly assigned to treatment with 3 doses of either 25 mL of B+C or 25 mL of saline placebo and 1 dose of either 2 mL (200 IU) of glargine insulin or 2 mL of saline placebo in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Outcomes of interest on all farms were ketosis cure (blood BHB <1.2 mmol/L 1 wk postenrollment), maintenance of ketosis cure (blood BHB <1.2 mmol/L 1 and 2 wk postenrollment), and blood BHB concentrations at 1 and 2 wk postenrollment. Milk weights were collected daily in 1 large freestall herd. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to evaluate blood BHB concentrations 2 wk after treatment and milk production for 30 d after treatment. Poisson regression was used to examine the effect of treatment on cure and maintenance of cure. Due to a regulatory delay causing temporary unavailability of B+C in Canada, data were analyzed in 2 sets of models: one for insulin and the corresponding placebo (n = 620) and one for the full trial (n = 380). Animals with blood glucose concentrations ≤2.2 mmol/L at the time of ketosis diagnosis were 2.1 times more likely (95% CI = 1.2 to 3.7) to be cured if treated with B+C. Animals in lactation 3 or higher that had blood glucose concentrations <2.2 mmol/L at enrollment produced 4.2 kg/d (95% CI = 1.4 to 7.1) more milk if treated with insulin versus placebo and 2.8 kg/d (95% CI = 0.9 to 4.7) more milk if treated with B+C versus placebo. Animals in lactation 3 or higher with blood glucose ≥2.2 mmol/L that were treated with insulin produced 2.3 kg/d (95% CI = 0.3 to 4.4) less milk than untreated controls. No interaction was observed between treatments. This evidence suggests that B+C and insulin may be beneficial for ketosis treatment in animals with blood glucose <2.2 mmol/L at ketosis diagnosis. It also suggests that blood glucose concentration may be an important predictor of success of ketosis treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada. Electronic address: tduffiel@uoguelph.ca.
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Duffield
authors.affiliation: Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824.
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Herdt
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada.
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Kelton
authors.affiliation: Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Neuder
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: LeBlanc
mesh_terms: D020155:3-Hydroxybutyric Acid / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007662:Ketosis / Q000662:veterinary; D007774:Lactation / Q000187:drug effects; D008892:Milk; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D014805:Vitamin B 12; D020155:3-Hydroxybutyric Acid
keywords: cyanocobalamin; insulin; ketosis; propylene glycol