Synonyms

No known synonym

Name of the disease in English

Hypokalemia

The disease in brief

Hypokaleme can have various causes:

Hypokaleme can have various causes:

• Stop ingestion of fodder (anorexia), associated with many pathologies (main cause)
  • Stasis in the abomasum with sequestration of K + (eg displacement of abomasum, impaction of abomasum)
  • Decreased food intake of K +
  • Upper intestinal obstruction with failure of K + reabsorption
  • Increased renal K + excretion (compensation for H + retention in metabolic alkalosis)
  • Enteritis (loss of K + with diarrhea)

• Secondary to treatment for metabolic acidosis
• Peripheral ischemia (leading to loss of K + cells), during prolonged recumbency (associated with Milk Fever and / or Cow Recumbent Syndrome)

  Hypokalaemia is not a frequent cause decubitus in cattle, compared to hypocalcemia. However, hypokalaemia is one of the causes of Downer Cow Syndrome. The causes that increase the incidence of hypokalaemia are:

  -Treatment with a corticosteroid has a mineral corticosteroid effect, like ketosis treatments

  -Treatment with glucose, dextrose or a glucose precursor, such as to treat ketosis.

  -A cow with metritis, abomasum disorders, will reduce its ingestions and show signs of ketosis, thus cumulating risks.

Clinic & diagnosis

 

Hypokalaemia is suspected by observing both:

-Muscular weakness, animal supine ("S" neck), reluctance to move, depression, muscle fasciculations, cardiac arrhythmias, coma

-Anorexia, treatment of ketosis with sugar infusions or hyperglycemic drugs in the previous days, or severe ketonuria (or in milk), or scant and dry dung, or nothing in the rectum, or hollow left flank, or rumen is empty to exploration by transrectal route.

 

 

Typical sign of the disease

No description

Pictures

See below

Diagnostic formulas

No description

Differential diagnosis

- Toxic coliform mastitis MA31

-Botulism

-MET10 milk fever

-Ketosis, nerve form NV14

-Luxation coxofemoral LC22

-Ankylosis of decubitus LC35.1

-Radial nerve palsy- N240

-Paralysis of an obturator nerve- N244

-Paralysis of a sciatic nerve- N245

-Pubic symphysis fracture-N186

- Rupture of the gastrocnemius muscle N251

-Acute peritonitis OBST1.2

Confirm a suspicion?

A blood test on an anticoagulant (heparin) or dry tube makes it possible to carry out a serum potassium, at the same time as the associated assays of glycemia and ionized calcium. Attention, any hemolysis during the sample will induce an artefactual hyperkalaemia which can significantly modify the result. Since K + is distributed overwhelmingly in the intracellular compartment, its blood assay to assess overall body status is controversial.

Prognosis and treatment

The aim of the treatment is to put the cow back on its feet. The hypokaleme can be treated by an oral intake of potassium chloride, at an rate of 500 g on the first day, followed by doses of 250 g morning and evening.

Intravenous intake is possible as a supplement when blood potassium has been measured. Intravenous K + infusion should be slow and strictly controlled to avoid fatal hyperkalaemia.

Prevention

When a bovine is treated for acetonemia, with a corticosteroid and / or glucose or its precursors, when the appetite is zero, a preventive oral intake of 60 to 120 g / d of potassium chloride should be provided. It is recommended in “drenching” compositions. The usual causes linked to a cow lying down (cf. Downer Cow Syndrome) must also be approached, as well as the frequent post-partum pathologies (acetonemia, displacement of abomasum).

References

- Rebhun's disease of dairy cattle; Various DJs, Peek SF 3^rd edition by Ed. Saunders Elsevier