Milk fever

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In dairy farming, milk fever, or post-parturient hypocalcemia, is a disease seen most commonly in cows and is characterized by reduced blood calcium levels. It is most common in the first few days of lactation, when demand for calcium for milk production exceeds the bodies ability to mobilize calcium reserves. "Fever" is a misnomer, as body temperature is usually subnormal. Low blood calcium levels interfere with muscle function throughout the body, causing general weakness, inappetance, and eventually heart failure. Hypocalcemia is more common in older animals (who have reduced ability to mobilize calcium from bone), certain breeds (such as Jersey cattle), and may occur occasionally at any time in a lactation and in many mammalian species.

[edit] Treatment

Treatment generally involves supplementary calcium by intravenous, subcutaneous, or oral routes. Various commercial preparations are available for this purpose. Intravenous calcium, though indicated in many cases, is potentially fatal through "heart blockade", or transient high calcium levels stopping the heart, so should be administered with care.

[edit] Prevention

Proper dietary management will prevent most cases of milk fever. This generally involves close attention to mineral and fiber levels in the pre-calving diet as well as improving cow comfort to eliminate other problems that may interfere with appetite and so trigger hypocalcemia.