FAC41: Hypocalcaemia (Milk Fever)

Question 1

What are other names for hypocalcaemia?

Answer 1

Parturient paresis

Eclampsia

Parturient apoplexy

Question 2

What are some complications of milk fever?

Answer 2

Downer cow syndrome

Milk fever in uncalved cows

Uterine inertia

No voluntary straining - dystocia not detected

Uterine prolapse

RFM

Risk of environmental mastitis

Question 3

What factors affect calcium homeostasis?

Answer 3

Age of cow

Oestrogens

Hypomagnesaemia

Calcium intake during the dry period

Acid-base status of the animal

Nutritional factors

Breed

Question 4

When do the initial clinical signs appear?

Answer 4

Around the time of parturition

Question 5

How do you treat/diagnose milk fever?

Answer 5

Give Ca!

May also give magnesium and/or phosphorous and remove the calf or restrict milking

Question 6

What biochem results will you get from a cow with milk fever?

Answer 6

Ca below 1.5

Phosphate below 1

Magnesium normal or slightly above 1.25

Question 7

At what point do downer cows get muscle damage?

Answer 7

If cow is down on same side for 8 hours or more, they will get a degree of muscle damage (12 hours permanent damage)

Question 8

How do you control against milk fever?

Answer 8

Part 1

• Changing of the forage component of the diet
• Magnesium supplementation
• Prophylactic administration of calcium at calving
• VitD to highly suspect cows

Part 2

• Milk withdrawal (no pre-calving milking, removal of calf at birth, no milking for 3-4 days after calving)
• Dry cow nutrition (dietary calcium restriction during the dry period or manipulation of DCAB)