Parturient Hypocalcaemia (Milk Fever) in Dairy Cows – A Review

Metabolic diseases like parturient hypocalcaemia pose significant risk on net earnings of a dairy enterprise. Parturient hypocalcaemia (Milk fever) is a complex metabolic disorder, affecting dairy animals usually within one or two days after calving, resulting in huge reduction in milk production. Clinical symptoms of milk fever include inappetence, tetany, inhibition of urination and defecation, lateral recumbency and eventual coma and death if left untreated. Several factors have been associated with increased incidence of milk fever, including parturition and initiation of lactation, breed, advancing age, nutrition and parity. Dietary Potassium is also significant in determining the susceptibility of dairy cows to milk fever. Treatment of milk fever can be attempted by giving oral calcium suppliments in initial stages flowed by intravenous calcium injections in later stages. Of the various methods used in attempts to control the disease, the most progress has been made in dietary management especially feeding of dietary cation anion balance (DCAB).