Elanco Animal Health has announced the launch of Kexxtone this month, a new treatment which it claims can reduce the incidence of ketosis in dairy cows by 74%* following a single treatment.¹

Kexxtone is a targeted solution for any dairy cow or heifer that is expected to develop ketosis around the period of calving. It is administered as a bolus,and provides coverage during the main risk period for the condition.

Ketosis often goes undetected because the signs are not immediately apparent. However, it is a common condition, affecting around 30% of cows² and has a negative impact upon cow health, fertility and milk production. Ketosis can result, on average, in milk losses of around 350-500 litres per cow⁴ per lactation. The cost of production losses and disease related consequential losses due to subclinical ketosis has been estimated at around 250-600 EUR per cow.⁵

Elanco says this new approach is likely to significantly expand the array of options open to vets actively involved in dairy herd health management. Kexxtone comes with the benefit of a zero day milk and meat withdrawal³ and the formulation is based on monensin - a molecule with a long history of beneficial use. 

According to the company, Kexxtone uses novel technology to allow a continuous and regular release of the active ingredient into the rumen which forms a gel when exposed to rumen fluid. This gel is progressively released into the rumen by a pressure sensitive spring in the Kexxtone device. The active ingredient shifts the microbial balance in the rumen to produce more of the glucose precursor propionic acid, therefore increasing glucose delivery and ultimately increasing the energy available to the cow. This improvement in energy utilisation buffers dairy cows against the tendency to drop into negative energy balance during the transition period around calving and early lactation - the major cause of ketosis.

Mike Steele, Technical Consultant at Elanco said: "Kexxtone offers an exciting opportunity in which everyone wins - vets who can offer positive interventions able to make a big impact on the bottom line, are going to be increasingly integral to their farm clients' herd health planning framework. It's no longer just about nutritional intervention and emergency salvage; it's about being able to proactively easily measure the true herd prevalence of ketosis and where appropriate, take preventative targeted action to really make a difference."

Kexxtone is available to order now from veterinary wholesalers - for further information contact the Elanco Territory Manager or call Elanco Animal Health on 01256 353131.

References

1. CVMP assessment report of an application for the granting of community marketing authorisation for Kexxtone (EMEA/V/C/002235)

• Elanco Farm Audit 2011, No. GN4FR110006.

• Kexxtone® Summary of Product Characteristics,

• Ospina 2010. Association between the proportion of sampled transition cows with increased nonesterified fatty acids and ß-hydroxybutyrate and disease incidence, pregnancy rate and milk production at the herd level. J. Dairy Sci. 93:3595-3601.

• Adapted from Esslemont 2012. The Cost of Ketosis in Dairy Cows, World Buiatrics Congress, Lisbon, Portugal

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