Combating Milk Fever,

Milk Fever

Milk Fever

MILK FEVER, also called parturient paresis and parturient hypocalcemia, is an aifection of cows occurring shortly after calving. It is characterized by paralysis of the motor and sensory nervous apparatus. Despite its name, milk fever usually is not accompanied by fever. There is always, however, a marked and rapid lowering of the blood calcium, so that the name "parturient hypocalcemia," which...

Milk fever control in the United States.

Strategies for the prevention of milk fever in the United States have made several 180 degree changes over the last several decades. During the 1950's and 1960's evidence suggested that low calcium diets could be utilized to stimulate the parathyroid prior to calving to initiate calcium homeostasis prior to the onset of lactation. High calcium diets were avoided and the strategy worked--for a w...

Prevention of Milk fever: Nutritional Approach

The use of negatively balanced cation-anion rations during the late dry or prepartum period requires excellent monitoring and management. The cows must be separated from the remaining herd and fed a total mixed ration as a group. Lower plasma calcium (Ca) will stimulate the Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and 1-hydroxylase system to increase intestinal absorption of Ca and bone resorption –reduce inc...

Milk Fever Control Principles: A Review

Three main preventive principles against milk fever were evaluated in this literature review, and the efficacy of each principle was estimated from the results of controlled investigations. Oral calcium drenching around calving apparently has a mean efficacy of 50%-60% in terms of milk fever prevention as well as prevention of milk fever relapse after intravenous treatment with calcium solution...