16 —Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 2, 1977 MEDICINE AND F imdamentals Milk fever, or, more appropriately, ‘parturient paresis’ (parturition-giving birth) (paresis-partial paralysis) is a problem confronted by every dairyman, and perplexing in that the complete understanding of its cause and prevention still escapes both dairymen and scientists. Indeed, there is a practical limit which one can go in an effort to prevent it. Parturient paresis usually occurs within 72 hours after calving, occasionally shortly before calving, and infrequently weeks or even months after calving. Average incident is about 10 per cent although problem herds can be as high as 80 per cent, usually with, no simple explanation for the difference. Milk fever is associated with low blood calcium or hypocalcemia. Norami blood plasma calcium is at a level of 10-11 mg per cent. As the plasma calcium level drops at calving time the initial signs of milk fever appear. At first the cow may appear overly excitable or hyperirritable, with a nervous, stiff gait and overextended hocks. They will shift weight on their rear legs and become wobbly. Appetite will usually be poor and constipation often occurs. As the plasma calcium dips to around 6-7 per cent, second stage or sternal recumbancy occurs. The cow lays on her sternum, unable to rise, usually with her head turned back to her flank resting on the floor. As plasma calcium drops below five mg per cent, the third stage or lateral recumbancy develops where the cow is laying on her side in apparent flaccid paralysis, unable to set up without assistance and props. If untreated at this stage the cow usually goes into a coma and dies. The temperature of a milk fever cow is usually subnormal but may be increased if exposed to heat or sunshine, as there seems to be an inability to regulate body heat. Milk fever is usually readily recognized by the dairyman and fairly easy to diagnose. There are, however, conditions which can be confused with milk fever, the most common and important one being acute or septic mastitis. It is very important to examine the milk of a cow near calving and immediately after calving. A delay of only 12 hours could be the difference between a treatable case and one that is beyond hope. A cow with acute or septic mastitis can also be down in sternal recumbancy with low body temperature; however their eyes are often sunken, skin quite tacky, and with a mucoid diarrhea as opposed to milk fever. Complications of milk fever are many and varied. Metritis (infection of the uterus) can exist along with milk fever, even if the placental membranes have been expelled, and will limit the response to milk fever therapy. Another problem is damage to muscles and nerves, either from thrashing around in the third stage or simply from lying for prolonged periods on concrete surfaces. A cow in terminal stages of milk fever will often regurgitate rumen contents and then inhale them into the lungs resulting in aspiration pneumonia. Such a cow will recover from milk fever only to die from aspiration pneumonia a few days later. This is why it is so important not to give any cow suspected of having milk fever BARGAINS FARMERS!! BRUSHLESS PTO AND DIESEL DRIVE ALTERNATORS No. 1. statically excited with power boost for excellent motor starting No. 2. brushless excited solid state for quick surge response No. 3. farm tested under actual emergency conditions at a confined dairy operation No. 4. dependable gear drive to withstand shock loads No. 5. SLOW SPEED • long lasting, 1800 r.p.m. operation 15.000 Watts ’1390 25,b00 Watts ’1590 28.000 Watts ’2276 40,000 Watts ’2s6o CONTINUOUS DUTY ALTERNATORS YOU BUY QUALITY FOR LESS MONEY AT BYLER’S DIESEL REFRIGERATION & PLUMBING Star Route, Rt 655 Belleville, Pa. 17004 Phone Peachey 717-483-6646 By CARL TROOP, VMO of milk fever anyhting my mouth as the pharynxz muscles used for swallowing are also paralyzed and whatever is given could go straight into the lungs. The calcium balance in the animal body is a dynamic system, a state of constant change. Calcium ingested in the food is being absorbed from the gut. Some is lost in the feces, some in die urine. The storehouse of calcium is the bones where it is deposited, while during times of need some is resorbed from the bone to replenish the blood OBOM* THE ANSWER HOW? AGRI-KINGS’ FEED IS H: Southeastern Penna George F. Delong Regional Manager 225 West Woods Drive Lititz PA 17543 Call Collect 717 626 0261 Ben Greenawalt Roger Heller Melvin Herr RD2 Conestoga PA 17516 rdi. Robesoma. PA RD2 New Holland PA 17557 Phone 717-872 5686 phone 215-693 6160 Ph 717-354 5977 ister Co lh Western Lancaster Co Earl B. Cinder RD2 Manheim PA 17545 Phone 717 bbs 3126 if-, Flan IGH PRICED DON’T WASTE IT! (for more information . ... ) Call or Write Your Nearest Agri-King Serviceman Southern Lancaster Co. icbiflgD. Cff. Henry Delong, Jr. Marvin Meyer RD2 Box 69 M 2. Box 157 Peach Bottom PA 17563 Annville. PA 17003 Phone 717 548-3471 Phone 717-867-1445 Southwestern Lancaster Co Aldus R. Kin| RDI Box 67A Alglen PA 19310 Phone 215 593-5952 plasma supply. Much calcium is used inlhe milk, and also for the fetus. In fact, right before parturition ajaregnant cowls losing calcium to the fetus at the rate of fire grams per day. It is currently thought that the sudden large requirement of calcium for the manufacture of milk is what precipitates the sudden drop in plasma calcium, thus milk fever. Factors which affect movement and levels of calcium and phosphorus levels, vitamin D, and a hormone produced by the parathyroid gland called parathyroid hormone or PTH. High phosporus blood levels result in decreased calcium blood levels. Vitamin D is essential for proper absorption of calcium from the gut and bone, and PTH regulates resorbtion from the bone. With all fiiis that is known about what regulates calcium balance one would think prevention and treatment should be quite easy. Earliest successful efforts at treatment occured in 1897 when a veterinarian in Denmark found, to his amazement, that injection of a solution of potassium iodide into the udder alleviated the signs with eventually recovery. He later found that forcing air into the udder along with the iodide gave better results. Later, another veterinarian found that inflation or insufflation of the udder with air along was equally effective. What was happening was that the pressure in the udder was [Continued on Page 22] AGRI-KING KEY TO PROFIT ■ f I ff $ t I • s 9 wi ? HIGH PROTEIN HAYLAGE! j£ NEW "WEATHER PROOF METHOD” S 5 I I I I I f » Vr 5 f Sr g I I I Northeast Berks Co. Penna. Chester Co WBEam Vftndle RDI. Atflen PA 19310 Phone 215-593-6143 Now ie protein needed ;f rations can be igh protein hay- PROTEIN YOU iliminate wasting rgy with AGRI TESTING and CD RATIONS . . imoton Co. Thomas Heist Mam Street Alburtis. PA 18101 Phone. 215-965-5124 South Central Penna. James L Yoder Regional Manager 250 Edwards Ave Chambersburg. PA 17201 Call Collect 717-264-9321
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