The Importance of the Liver in Dairy Cows

As I was researching the

topic of liver function
in healthy dairy cattle, I
realized that the great
majority of information
available dealt with the
metabolic diseases of
By Dr. John Popp, PhD. the liver. It was almost
Crystal Creek® Livestock impossible to find
Nutritionist / Owner of information that just
Big Bear Genetics
discussed the function
of the liver and how to keep it healthy. The
intention of this article is to focus on what
makes a liver healthy, not on the doom and
gloom of hepatic lipadosis, fatty liver or ketosis,
which is what we hear about the most.

A healthy liver in a dairy cow serves many

important functions: Glucose production/synthesis,
detoxification of ammonia and production of Healthy liver
antibodies. Rumen microbes metabolize starches
supplied by the feed ration into the volatile fatty mechanism is a reduction in milk production
acids, lactate and proprionate, which are converted in an attempt to reduce the metabolic energy
into glucose (fuel to run the body) via the liver. demand. The picture above shows a healthy liver
With onset of lactation, a cow’s energy requirement with a deep, purple color vs. a fatty liver with a
is tripled. High demands for glucose are for both pale, yellow color as a result of fat infiltration.
milk synthesis and also reproductive performance.
A cow in early lactation producing 80 pounds of
milk needs a supply of 6 lbs of glucose per day just
Management and Prevention
for milk production. As you can imagine, this is a Taking a proactive role in managing the cow’s
huge job for the liver… so it has to be healthy. To dry and early lactation period, will increase
complicate the situation, dry matter intake of the
cow is usually insufficient at
this time as well. When a cow
is off feed (negative energy
balance) and is not getting an
ample supply of glucose from
the ration, the cow’s body will
start utilizing fat as the next
available energy source. It is
the liver that converts this fat
into a useable energy source
for the cow. If the liver is
compromised or overwhelmed
and cannot “clear” or metabolize
fat coming in, it will become
infiltrated with fat. This fatty
liver condition can potentially
turn into subclinical or clinical
ketosis. When the liver reaches
this state, it cannot do the job it
is assigned to do; one defense

14 | 1.888.376.6777 • [Link]
 2. Maintain body condition of dry cows
during the dry period – cows should
not be gaining or losing weight.

3. Monitor dry matter intake.

4. Monitor feed refusals and check

for moldy feeds closely.

5. Manage the bunk to prevent

overcrowding. This will ensure access
to good quality feed at all times.

6. Minimize social group disruptions

during transition. Limit pen moves to
3 or less during the transition period.

Maintaining good liver health in fresh/early

lactation animals is the key to a smooth, trouble
free transition. It is important to monitor cows for
proper liver function post partum and with the
onset of lactation. A well-recognized and practical
Fatty liver indicator of liver health is the measurement of
beta-hydroxy-butyric acid (BHBA). Levels of
the possibility of a healthy, functioning BHBA are elevated when liver fat oxidation is
liver. Here is a checklist of things to observe/ incomplete due to fat infiltration of liver tissue.
manage in order to ensure liver health: Cows with BHBA levels greater than or equal to
1.1 mmol/l are indicative of a herd’s prevalence
1. Properly balance the dry cow and early for subclinical ketosis. If you find yourself faced
lactation rations. This is the most important with clinical or subclinical ketosis in your herd,
step in keeping the liver healthy and several very informative articles by Dr. Leiterman
preventing ketosis or fatty liver. Fatty and Teresa Marker, Livestock Nutritionist, can
infiltration of the liver can occur as be accessed via the Crystal Creek® website
early as two weeks before calving. at [Link] under the
“Article” tab in the Dairy section. You may also
reference Teresa Marker’s
article on page 3 in this
newsletter: “Turning Hidden
Challenges into Opportunity
on a Dairy Farm” that
discusses subclinical ketosis
in fresh cows and heifers.

The liver has a huge role to play

in the health of your transition
cows. If you implement the
above steps, you should find
a reduction in liver related
disorders in your herd. With
liver disorders at a minimum,
you will find the transition
of your cows in the dry cow
and early lactation cow
period much less stressful
for you and your cows.

1.888.376.6777 • [Link] | 15