Milk fever
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Milk fever is a condition seen in dairy cows especially in the first few days of lactation. During this time, many dairy cows cannot adapt to the large amounts of calcium being released from body reserves into milk. This temporary lowered level of calcium in the blood is referred to as milk fever. It is also known as hypocalcemia or parturient paresis. Signs of this condition include muscle tremors, suppressed appetite and unsteadiness. Often, this can be observed 48-72 hours prior to calving although it very rarely occurs later in lactation. The condition is very rare in heifers.Potentially fatal, an untreated cow can die of heart failure within 12 hours of the onset of the condition. Treatment is by intravenous injection of relatively large quantities (500ml) of Calcium gluconate. Provision of phosphorus and glucose is also important.
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