Ovine ketosis. III. The effect of starvation on the blood sugar and ketone body levels of wethers

Abstract

Prolonged starvation of wethers has been found to result in a mild hypoglycemia (average blood sugar level 25 mg per cent) and a slight ketonemia average ketone body level 4 • 9 mg per cent) the only exception being wether No. 2 which developed a true but mild ketosis (maximum ketone body level 14 mg per cent). All the animals, including No. 2 displayed no visible clinical symptoms throughout the starvation period. It would thus appear that an eight day period of fasting is not capable of inducing a true hypoglycemic ketosis in normal, non-pregnant, non-lactating sheep.