Hypomagnesemic tetany of ruminants is a non- History and observation infectious metabolic disorder that occurs in a wide The five young calves with a history of staggering range of nutritional and managemental conditions gait and an inability

Hypomagnesemic tetany of ruminants is a nonHistory and observation infectious metabolic disorder that occurs in a wide The five young calves with a history of staggering range of nutritional and managemental conditions gait and an inability to stand up were presented to the (Smith and Edward, 1988). This condition occurred due peripheral veterinary hospital, shimoga. The calves to magnesium deficiency resulting from a reduced were reared mostly on mother’s milk only without ability of the calves to absorb dietary magnesium as exogenous dietary supply. they become older (Smith, 1961). The calves were examined clinically; they Magnesium is an essential mineral component, showed hyperesthesia to touch, ataxia, fine muscular is involved in many of the enzymatic activities in the tremors appear, kicking of belly, frothing at the mouth body, a major intracellular divalent cation and also with and calf try to get up but falls. many physiological and biochemical functions. There is Since the animals did not show any signs of no feedback regulation to control magnesium distress like labored breathing, fever, diarrhea etc. It concentration in the body of the ruminants as reported was assumed that the origin of the clinical sign was not by Radostits et al, (2000); Martens and Schwigel, infectious. Since such signs could also be observed in (2000). Therefore, the magnesium concentration in blood tetanus, the animal was thoroughly examined for and extra cellular fluid are essentially determined by presence of wounds on the body. Since, there were no the balance between dietary intake of magnesium, loss in external injuries in the calves. It was arrived that the feces and milk and the modulating effect of magnesium clinical signs exhibited could be due to managemental homeostasis by the kidney (Radostits et al, 2000). defect, probable nutritional deficiency. Careful The magnesium homeostasis depends on investigation into the clinical signs of the calves absorption from the gastrointestinal tract and indicated towards magnesium deficiency. Hence, the endogenous secretions, milk production, uptake by blood samples were collected with EDTA for tissues. Conversely, if the outflow (mainly milk magnesium level estimation. secretion and endogenous loss) exceeds inflow, Treatment and discussion hypomagnesemia occurs because of the lack of Among five calves, the blood magnesium level hormonal mechanisms of homeostasis. The most was in the range of 1.1 to 1.3 mg/100ml. According to prominent signs of hypomagnesemia are excitations Sastry and Rao, (2001) the normal magnesium level is and muscle cramps, which are closely correlated with in the range of 2-4 mg/100ml. Based on the blood the magnesium concentration in the cerebro spinal magnesium level in the present study, the cases were fluid. It is suggested that the clinical signs are caused diagnosed as magnesium tetany. by spontaneous activation of neurons in the cerebro Magnesium tetany in young calves might be due spinal fluid at low magnesium concentrations, which to reduced absorption of magnesium in the intestine up leads to tetany (Martens and Schwigel, 2000). to about 3 months of age and this was the age where The calves affected have concurrent maximum susceptibility was observed. It occurs in hypocalcemia, as they fed milk with low magnesium calves aged 2-4 months or older, fed solely on the diet concentration. The calves fed with only milk, will be of whole milk. The calves receiving the large quantity of insufficient to maintain the balance of magnesium and milk and growing rapidly are more likely to be affected, calcium. The efficiency of absorption during the because of their greater need for magnesium for intestinal transit is reduced in cases of diarrhoea incorporation into developing soft tissues (Radostits et (Radostits et al, 2000). The present study describes the al, 2000). The calves fed only on milk for long time will successful management of magnesium tetany in Magnesium deficiency in young calves and its management