Investigation of a Dog's Ability to Detect Ketosis in Dairy Cows

Abstract

Cows can be in a state of sub-clinical ketosis before any of the clinical signs such as a decreased appetite, weight loss, and decreased milk production are present. In order to manage the incidence of ketosis it is important to focus on early detection. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the ability of dogs to discriminate between breath samples from dairy cows positive and negative for ketosis in a laboratory setting. Breath samples were collected from Holstein cows and presented to the dogs following a two-alternative forced choice (2AFC) procedure. Four dogs were assessed for their olfactory capabilities and performance. One dog was able to correctly discriminate between breath samples positive and negative for ketosis in 120 out of 130 sessions, or 92.3% of the time. These results highlight the potential of dogs, with further training and testing, as a tool for the early detection of sub-clinical ketosis.