[Effect of ketosis on the reproductive process in high-yield cows]

Studies were carried out with a total of 40 ketosis-affected cows and 40 normal (control) cows. It was found that with the diseased animals the blood level of sugar was lowered by 45 per cent, that of total protein--by 24 per cent, that of carotene and vitamin A--by more than twice, and that of inorganic phosphorus--by 20 per cent as against the blood indices with the control cows. In the same period the content of ketone bodies in the blood of ths affected cows increased 5 times, and in the urine it rose 6 times. With cows that had ketosis the cases of dystocia and retained placenta were 5 times more, still births were twice more, and the cases of diseased endometrium were 6 times more than those in the control cows. Respectively, cows that had manifested clinical ketosis showed longer independence period (by 22 days), longer service period (by 54 days), lack of estrus (in 20 per cent of the animals), and as many as 33.3 per cent of them failed to conceive and were culled. It was concluded that ketosis had unfavourably affected the normal course of the parturition process ++ and the conception of high-producing cows.