Pathophysiology of Milk Fever

Milk Fever

Milk Fever

MILK FEVER, also called parturient paresis and parturient hypocalcemia, is an aifection of cows occurring shortly after calving. It is characterized by paralysis of the motor and sensory nervous apparatus. Despite its name, milk fever usually is not accompanied by fever. There is always, however, a marked and rapid lowering of the blood calcium, so that the name "parturient hypocalcemia," which...

Pathophysiology and management of fever.

The febrile response is a complex physiologic reaction to disease involving a cytokine-mediated rise in body temperature, generation of acute-phase reactants, and activation of numerous endocrinologic and immunologic systems. Understanding the basic mechanisms underlying this phenomenon helps to formulate rational approaches to treatment and interventions. In this article, the authors review th...

Milk fever in dairy cows: a review of pathophysiology and control principles.

The periparturient or transition period of 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after calving is characterised by a greatly increased risk of disease. Hypocalcaemia around calving is a risk factor for many of these diseases and is an indirect risk factor for increased culling. The incidence of clinical hypocalcaemia (milk fever) in the field generally ranges from 0-10%, but may exceed 25% of cows calving...

Prevention of Milk fever: Nutritional Approach

The use of negatively balanced cation-anion rations during the late dry or prepartum period requires excellent monitoring and management. The cows must be separated from the remaining herd and fed a total mixed ration as a group. Lower plasma calcium (Ca) will stimulate the Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and 1-hydroxylase system to increase intestinal absorption of Ca and bone resorption –reduce inc...