Milk Fever

1
Milk Fever

• Acute hypocalcaemia (serum Ca drops from
  normal-10mg to gt7mg)
• May see hypomagnesium (tetany) or hypermagnesia
  (flaccid paralysis) in conjunction with milk
  fever.
• Most often seen in cattle 5 to 9 years old.
• No causative organism, this is simply a
  nutritional imbalance.

2

• Associated with the onset of lactation.
• Usually occurs within the first 72 hours
  following parturition.
• Occasionally occurs just prior to or during
  parturition causing dystocia.

3
Symptoms of Milk Fever

• Unsteady gait, buckling of pasterns
• Eyes dull staring,pupils dilated
• Muzzle dry, extremities cool
• Temperature and pulse normal to subnormal
• Digestive tract inactive
• Suppressed defecation relaxed anus
• Lying on sternum with neck turned backward with
  head resting on shoulder, unable to rise

4

• Lateral recumbence, coma and death
• Animals can go from normal to dead in a few
  hours.
• Treatment is very effective, animals recover
  quickly (minutes) following treatment.
• Following treatment must watch for a relapse.

5
Treatment of Milk Fever

• Treat with calcium borogluconate IV (500 to
  1000cc of a commercial solution usually allows
  the animal to recover).
• May use a solution that also contains Mg
• To prevent relapse part of or additional Ca
  solution can be given Sub-Q or I.P.
• Drip Ca solution in slowly to prevent cardiac
  arrest.

6
Prevention of Milk Fever

• Remove mineral supplements, feed low quality hay
  (no alfalfa as it is high in Ca) beginning about
  two weeks prior to parturition.
• This allows the animals endocrine system to
  become more active in mobilizing Ca from bone to
  blood and increases intestinal absorption of Ca.
• Feed rations with a high P to Ca ratio during
  late pregnancy.