AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by Conrad Schelkopf to discuss a recent paper published in The Bovine Practitioner Volume 57 Number 2. Conrad is a dual DVM/PhD student at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine. The title of the paper is “Comparison of electronic nose and conventional cow-side diagnostic tools for detection of ketosis in early lactation dairy cows”.  We review the various types of ketones that are measure by different diagnostic tests in dairy cows. The average economic impact of a case of ketosis in a dairy cow published in the literature is about $300, and having reliable and effective diagnostic tests can be a valuable tool for dairy producers. 

Electronic nose technology has been used in human medicine for disease diagnosis, but little research has been done in veterinary medicine. The technology “sniffs” samples that has a variety of sensors that detects a variety of volatile compounds in the space above the sample. The paper discusses how the tool is trained and calibrated for this experiment to create a fingerprint to match that fingerprint to different samples. 

The objective of this study was to compare the eNose technology to the urine ketone test strips and blood BHBA  cow-side diagnostic tools and to evaluate the applicability to clinical practice in a production setting. The eNose technology had lower sensitivity and specificity vs. the Precision Xtra and urine ketone tests. Conrad also discusses the positive and negative predictive value of each test based on the estimated prevalence of the disease. Conrad also discusses some potential future applications of the eNose device in booth beef and dairy practice. Emerging technologies and research to validate these technologies in the field is an important area of new research in cattle practice to improve cattle health, welfare and productivity.  

Schelkopf, C. S., Apley, M. D., & Lubbers, B. V. (2023). Comparison of electronic nose and conventional cow-side diagnostic tools for detection of ketosis in early lactation dairy cows. The Bovine Practitioner, 57(2), 5–15. https://doi.org/10.21423/bovine-vol27no2p5-16