The downer cow slide has been introduced before, but is now finally available in the Netherlands. This slide allows for a better diagnosis and prognosis for a downer cow. This refers to a cow that cannot stand after repeated calcium infusions.
The parameters of the downer slide provide a lot of information about the diagnosis and prognosis of a downer cow. . This slide measures blood for calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA’s), the enzymes creatine kinase (CK), and AST. Elevated levels of both CK and AST indicate muscle damage. The level of AST in particular can be used to set a prognosis. If CK is low but AST and NEFA’s are elevated, it indicates more towards liver issues/fatty liver than muscle damage.
The unique combination of parameters on this slide leads to better advice on the treatment and prognosis of the downer cow.
Check out the slides here. Read more about the different slides from BoviLab here.
