| PAS_1 |
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| PAS_2 |
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| Agro Ecological Zone |
Agro Ecological Sub Region (ICAR) Central Highlands (Malwa), Gujarat Plain (5.1) , Agro-Climatic Zone (Planning Commission) Gujarat Plains and hills region (XIII), Agro Climatic Zone (NARP) North Saurashtra, South Saurashtra (GJ-6,GJ-7) |
| Disease Symptoms / Clinical Signs |
The clinical signs of milk fever can be divided into three distinct stages: Stage 1: Cows are mobile but show signs of hypersensitivity and excitability such as restlessness, tremors, ear twitching, head bobbing, and mild ataxia. If not treated, symptoms usually progress to stage 2.
Stage 2: Cows can no longer stand and present in sternal recumbency. Tachycardia, weakened heart contraction and peripheral pulses. Cows appear dull, have dry muzzles, cold extremities and a lower than normal body temperature. Smooth muscle paralysis can cause bloat, and the inability to urinate or defecate. Cows often tuck their heads into their flanks. Cow lying on its side (lateral recumbency)
Stage 3: Lateral recumbency, muscle flaccidity, unresponsiveness to stimuli, and loss of consciousness progressing to coma. Heart rate can approach 120 bpm, with peripheral pulses becoming undetectable. If untreated, progression will continue to death. |
| Disease Description |
Milk fever, postparturient hypocalcemia, or parturient paresis is a disease, primarily in dairy cattle but also seen in beef cattle and non-bovine domesticated animals, characterized by reduced blood calcium levels (hypocalcemia). It occurs following parturition, at onset of lactation, when demand for calcium for colostrum and milk production exceeds the body's ability to mobilize calcium. "Fever" is a misnomer, as body temperature during the disease is generally not elevated. Milk fever is more commonly seen in older animals. In normal calcium regulation, a decrease in plasma calcium levels causes the parathyroid glands to secrete parathyroid hormone (PTH), which regulates the activation of Vitamin D3 in the kidney. These two compounds act to increase blood calcium levels by increasing absorption of dietary calcium from the intestine, increasing renal tubular reabsorption of calcium in the kidney, and increasing resorption of calcium from bones. It has been found that tissue is less responsive to parathyroid hormone prepartum, compared to postpartum. It is believed that hypocalcemia causing milk fever is due to a lower level of responsiveness of the cow's tissues to circulating parathyroid hormone. The resultant decreased plasma calcium causes hyperexcitability of the nervous system and weakened muscle contractions, which result in both tetany and paresis. |
| Disease Control |
Control minerals level in diet of animal |
| Disease Prevention |
Diet: Proper dietary management will prevent most cases of milk fever. This generally involves close attention to mineral and fiber levels in the diet prior to calving, as well as improving cow comfort to eliminate other problems that may interfere with appetite (and so trigger hypocalcemia). General advice is to restrict calcium intake before calving, as this leads to the parathyroid gland stimulating the release of calcium from bones.
Calcium Salts: A synthetic analogue of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol can be given by injection in the days leading up to calving, although the timing of this prophylactic makes it difficult to use.Oral administration of a dose of a calcium salt in a gel has been advised by some veterinarians. An orally administered bolus containing a much higher concentration of calcium than the injectable solutions can also be given so long as the cow is standing or sitting up. If the cow is lying 'flat out' then immediate intravenous therapy is required to avoid death. |
| Precautions |
Maintain minerals level in animals diet |
| Procedure of Use |
To treat milk fever in cattle, he takes the milk of a healthy animal and warm it. Add 15 gm red chilly powder mix it well. Give this concoction to the sick animal with a drench pipe once a day in the morning for two days. |
| Etiology Causative Agent |
During the dry period (late gestation, non-lactating), dairy cattle have relatively low calcium requirements, with a need to replace approximately 30 g of calcium per day due to utilization for fetal growth and fecal and urinary losses. At parturition, the requirement for calcium is greatly increased due to initiation of lactation, when mammary drainage of calcium may exceed 50g per day. Due to this large increase in demand for calcium, most cows will experience some degree of hypocalcemia for a short period following parturition as the metabolism adjusts to the increased demand. When the mammary drain of plasma calcium causes hypocalcemia severe enough to compromise neuromuscular function, the cow is considered to have clinical milk fever. |
| Global Context |
Milk fever spreads worldwide in cattle. It is more common in adult than youngones. |
| Lesson Implication |
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| Other Medications / Treatments |
Increase minal level in diet |
| Limitations of Approaches |
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| Other Community Practices |
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| Practice ID |
DTP00100000001382 |
| Reference |
Bhavnagar-96/12 |
| Annotation ID |
GIAN/GAVL/1404 |
| Reference |
Bhavnagar-96/12 |
| Scout |
HBN |
Honey Bee Network Knowledge & Innovation Database (HBNKIND)