MANAGEMENT OF PRODUCTION DISEASES IN DAIRY COWS

The term ‘production diseases’ or metabolic diseases includes parturient paresis, hypomagnesemia, acetonemia and some other conditions all of which are attributed to an imbalanced between the rates of ‘input’ of dietary nutrients and the ‘output’ of production. When the imbalance is maintained, it may lead to a change in the amount of the body reserves of certain metabolites or their ‘throughput’ and sufficiently large changes in ‘throughput’ will give rise to signs of production diseases. Because of the emphasis being placed on preventive medicine, it may be possible to predict the occurrence of production diseases in a herd of lactational group by monitoring certain components of blood on a regular basis. If the level falls below `nor,a1′ it is assumed that intake needs to be increased to compensate for the negative balance created by excessive output.

The metabolic profile test is based on the concept that the laboratory measurement of certain components of the blood will reflect the nutritional status of the animal with or without clinical abnormalities or in other words the ability of the laboratory to make an objective assessment of the inputoutput relationships and the test would be able to detect the qualitative and quantitative adequacy of the diet if cows expected to produce a certain quantity of milk or return to estrus within a desirable length of time following parturition.

Parturient paresis

parturient paresis is a metabolic disease occurring most commonly about the time of parturition in adult female and is characterised by hypocalcemia, general weakness, circulatory collapse and depression of consciousness.

Treatment

1. The standard treatment of parturient paresis is intravenous

administration of calcium borogluconate 400-800 ml of a 25% solution.

2. Administration of glucose 500m1 of a 40% solution , sodium acid

phosphate 200m1 of a 15% solution and magnesium sulfate at 200-400m1 of 15% solution.

3. Udder inflation is a valuable alternative treatment in cows which do not

respond completely to the initial treatment.

4. Oral administration of gels containing calcium chloride to increase the

recovery rate and to prevent relapse.

General nursing procedure

1. If the cow is dow for long period, she should be moved form side to side

3 to 4 times a day and the legs and bony prominence are massaged.

2. If recumbent for more than 48 hrs she should be raised in a hip sling

several time daily.

Control

1. Maintenance of appetite and avoidance of alimentary stasis in late

pregnancy appear to be an important preventive measure.

2. Feeding of high calcium diet before calving is contra-indicated and may

increase the incidence of milk fever especially if the diet is alkaline, Feeding of an acid type diet or a low calcium diet for the last 5 weeks of pregnancy is practiced as control measures.

1. Avoid excessive calcium intake during dry period.

2. Feed adequate phosphorus to meet requirements or limit calcium intake

to more that 100-125g/day/

3. Avoid overeating by either reducing energy concentrates of the ration or

restricting the intake during prepartum period.

4. Avoid stress at the time of parturition.

5. At calving the cow should received a oral dose of calcium gel followed

by diet with a high calcium

Calcium gel dosing

150g of calcium salt given by drench or in the feed in 3 doses are given

24 hrs before, 1-2 hrs before and 10-14 after calving is one of the best

preventive measures.

Vitamin D and its metabolites and analogs

1. single dose of Vitamin D3 10 million units intramuscularly given 2-8

days before parturition is the most popular prophylaxis milk fever.

2. Oral dosing with 20 million units vitamin D2 daily for 5 days to cows

immediately prior to calving reduces the incidence of the disease.

3. 25 Hydroxychole-calciferol at a dose rate of 8mg,3-10 days before calving

repeated at weekly intervals.

4. 1,24 dihydroxy vitamin D3 200mg/day orally, reduce the incidence.

Miscellaneous prophylactic measures

1. Ammonium chloride is fed with grain 25-100 g/day during last few

weeks of pregnancy to produce acidosis and enhance calcium mobilization and ionization to prevent milk fever.

2. Cows should not be subjected to unnecessary exercise or excitement.

3. Good plane of nutritiion during the pregnancy and gradual changes to

lush pasture.

Downer cow syndrome

The downer cow syndrome is a condition which occurs in cattle following hypocalcemic parturient paresis and is characterised clinically by prolonged recumbency even after two successive treatment of calcium.

1. Injection of magnesium salts phosphates, corticosteroids stimulant

tonics and vitamin E and selenium.

2. Fluid therapy by oral or parenteral route is indicated to cows which may

not be drinking a normal amount of water.

3. Comfortable bedding and turning the cow from side to side several times

to minimise the degree of ischaemia necrosis and pare analgesia.

4. physiotherapy in the form of muscle massage to restore the normal

muscle activity in the affected limbs.

Cows should be treated during the first stage of parturient paresis before they become recumbent. Once recumbent, they should be treated as soon as possible and cows should be well bedded with liberal quantities of straw Frequent rolling of cows from one side to another on hourly basis.

Lactation tetany(hypomagnesemic tetany, grass tetany)

Lactation tetany is a highly fatal disease of all of ruminants and has the highest incidence in lactating cows. It is characterised by hypomagnesemia and usually hypocalcemia and clinically by tonic-clonic muscular spasms and convulsions and death due to respiratory failure.

1. Combination of calcium – magnesium preparation 500 ml of a solution

containing 25% calcium borogluconate and 5% hypophosphite solution of magnesium salt, magnesium lactate, or magnesium gluconate 15% solution 200-400 ml.

2. Feeding of magnesium rich supplement is recommended after parenteral

treatment.

3. Intramuscular injection of an ataractic drug before commencing specific

treatment to control convulsions in acute cases.

1. Feeding of magnesium supplement: Daily feeding of 120g of magnesium

oxide, magnesium phosphate(53g/day)

2. Heavy magnesium bullets: Place a heavy bullet of magnesium in the

reticulum, which constantly liberates small amounts of magnesium

about 1 gm daily.

3. Top dressing of pasture: Calcined magnesia (1125 kg/ha) or magnesia

limestone(5500 kg/ha) are used.

4. Spraying pasture with a 25% solution of magnesium sulphate at

fortnightly intervals.

5. Provision of shelter in an area where winter pasturing is practiced.

6. Time of calving: incidence is high during cold winter months.

7. Feeding of hay and unimproved pasture: Provision of some grain or

rough grazing reduce the incidence.

Ketosis of ruminants(acetonemia of cattle)

Ketosis in ruminants is a disease caused by impaired metabolism of carbohydrate and volatile fatty acids. Biochemically it is characterised by ketonemia, ketonuria, hypoglycemia and low levels of hepatic glycogen.

1. Intravenous injection of 500 ml of a 50% solution of dextrose.

2. Propylene glycol or glycerin (225 gm twice daily for 2 days followed by

110 g daily for 2 days) can be administered as a drench in the field.

3. Ammonium lactate 300g, daily for 5 days in repeated doses to be

effective.

1. Dexamethasone-25 mg

2. Anabolic steroids 30 mg followed by oral propylene glycol (100m1; twice

daily).

1. Chloral hydrate: initial does of 30 g orally followed by 7 g twice daily for

several days.

2. Vitamin B12 and cobalt 750 mg 3 doses at 1-3 days intervals.

2. Addition of nicotinic acid in the feed(12 g daily).

Control

1. Adequate caloric intake should be ensured.

2. Use silage or hay as maintenance ration supplemented with 1Kg/day

concentrate and gradually increased to 5 Kg daily at calving time.

3. After calving, the concentrate ration should be increased gradually

(3Kg/100Kg body weight for maintenance and 1Kg/3Kg milk).

4. Provide good quality and ground maize.

5. Adequate exercise

6. Ration must contain adequate cobalt, phosphorus and iodine

7. 110g of sodium phosphate daily for 6 weeks commencing at calving or

propylene glycol (350 ml daily).

reference-on request