Metabolic diseases in farm animals Flashcards
Describe the aetiology of hypomagnesaemia
- Related to Mg in diet and presence of competing cations (K, Na)
- No feedback mechanism to control Mg concentration
- Main absorption in forestomachs, increases with increasing Na:K ratio (>5:1)
- Only short term mobilisation of reserve in bone
What is a potential complication of chronic hypomagnesaemia?
Increases chances of hypocalcaemia
Compare hypomagnesaemia in adult cattle to that in sheep and calves
- Sheep: similar but less common
- Calves: similar, but less common other than milk fed white veal calves (not UK)
Explain the mortality of hypomagnesaemia in beef cattle
- ~30%
- Due to short course of disease (5-10 hours from start to death)
- Beef animals looked at less than dairy
What is the effect of hypomagnesaemia on the nervous system?
Alteration in CNS and peripheral nerve function
Identify risk factors for hypomagnesaemia
- Lush pastures with large applications of fertilisers
- Bucket fed calves
- Silage from/pastures low in Mg, generally poor quality pasture
- Pasture species, season, soil type, climate, DMI
- Increased risk in lactation/late pregnancy
- Cold, wet, windy
Explain why hypomagnesaemia occurs in lactation/late pregnancy
- Hypocalcaemia 48 hours after calving, hypomagnesaemia seen later
- Combination of calcium and magnesium deficit that predisposes to hypomagnesaemia
Explain why lush pastures with high levels of fertiliser increase the risk of hypomagnesaemia
- High levels of nitrogen and potassium and ammonia
- Compete for mg absorption in rumen
Describe the clinical signs of hypomagnesaemia
- Tetanic muscle spasms
- Whole body tremor
- Bellowing, aggressive
- Blindness
- Elevated, pounding heart rate
- Hypertonicity and seizures
- Hyper alertness, hyper responsiveness, hyperaesthesia
- Convulsions
- Sudden death after excitement/therapy
- Frothing at mouth
- Retraction of eyelids
- Pricking of ears
- Nystagmus
- Opisthotonus
- Bloating
List the differential diagnoses for hypomagnesaemia
- Acute lead poisoning
- Rabies
- Nervous ketosis
- BSE
Outline the method for the diagnosis of hypomagnesaemia
- Clinical signs and history
- Serum Mg low
- Response to treatment
- May have concurrent hypocalcaemia
- Aqueous humour or CSF Mg concentration
- Non-specific necropsy findings (rule out other conditions)
Explain the value of testing the aqueous humour or CSF Mg concentrations
- Can be done up to 12 h post mortem
- Useful where several dead cows in field
- Sample from the eye for aqueous humour
Describe the treatment of hypomagnesaemia
- Safest general recommendation: 400ml Ca-Mg bottle, 50ml for sheep
- Combined with SC concentrated solution of Mg salt
- Ideally give Mg SC, calcium IV
What are the risks of administering Mg IV?
- Cardiac dysrhythmias
- Medullary depression
- Respiratory failure
Outline the preventative methods for hypomagnesaemia
- Prophylactic oral therapy (low bioavailability, give slightly more than “right” amount)
- Top dressing of pastures, daily drenching
- Dusting, spraying
- Provision in drinking water (better absorption of MgCl), magnesium buckets
- Intraruminal Mg bolus