milk fever treatment

[jt]

is there a big difference between administering a calcium supplement subc or Intravenously? i know that with some of them there is no choice, but with the one i have it can be administered either way. i just was wondering if it made that much difference.

i have a jersey cross cow that calved a couple of weeks ago and she was very slow to get up the other day. i figure on giving her something to help her out and am asking ahead. was not able to talk to my vet about it, he was very busy, so i just bought the medicene and left.

would like to find out what some of you guys with more experience with this do.

thanks

jt

 

[milkmaid]

I prefer IV... SC can leave some nasty abcesses I'm told.

That said, milk fever usually shows up within a day or so of calving; 3 weeks is a little late. Make sure you rule out other problems like uterine infection, mastitis, pneumonia, old age, ketosis, etc before treating for milk fever. Take her temp; should give you a good idea of whether milk fever is an issue or you're looking at something else.

 

[hillsdown]

Like MM said ,as well as feel the ears, alot of times in milk fever cases the ears are ice cold to the touch. Also remember if you administer the calcium to fast you can kill the cow.

 

[regolith]

Intravenous works faster, and would always be my choice for first treatment of an actual down cow.

One that's standing, maybe just a little wobbly, I'd go with subcutaneous - no need to wrestle with the cow, less urgency and if there's magnesium in the solution it's safer.

HD - I'm not aware of any risk from giving straight calcium. A solution with mag sulphate can kill the cow if given too fast into the vein - subcutaneous is safe because of slower absorption and I thought straight calcium was safe into the vein, though it would be sensible not to administer at super-top speed. I warm the bags first so that they flow faster, but hold it very low to slow down the rate if going into the vein.

I do sometimes see milk fever in cows several weeks calved and in late lactation it's possible as well. My policy would always be to give calcium at first sign - I use the bags with added magnesium to cover for that too. Then if that doesn't improve her start looking for other causes.

 

[hillsdown]

Regolith we use cal-mag all the time (well haven't had to in 6 years) as it works the best and fastest IV. I have actually seen a vet kill a cow by administering it too fast. He was a fresh vet and had just started with the practice, lucky us got him sent out for a simple case. I guess they should have taught him that in med school. We also always do it in the milk vein, not the neck and use a stethoscope to monitor the cows heart beat.

I do agree with your advice on sub , if this is in fact a milk fever case. But like all that MM has stated and my experience I would look elsewhere first and I would do a dextrose ,b12 and dex IV first before milk fever treatment, however a temp still needs to be taken first..

 

[TexasBred]

HD I have to admit that I too have killed by allowing the IV fluids to go into the vein to quickly. That's one reason I also thru away that huge needle that comes with the IV kid and started using a 16 gauge 1" needle...it's also much sharper. My favorite IV solution was Narcalciphos which I had to get from the vet followed up by a bottle of dextrose....CMPK will work also but maybe it was just psychological but the Narcalciphos just seemed to do a better job. I NEVER gave it subq but have stuck it straight into the side of the cow into the rumen.

 

[jt]

I prefer IV... SC can leave some nasty abcesses I'm told.

That said, milk fever usually shows up within a day or so of calving; 3 weeks is a little late. Make sure you rule out other problems like uterine infection, mastitis, pneumonia, old age, ketosis, etc before treating for milk fever. Take her temp; should give you a good idea of whether milk fever is an issue or you're looking at something else.

followup...

ok, after a couple of private messages to MM, i think i dont know for sure what is wrong with this cow, LOL.

could not temp her. got her in place to do so, but my thermometer was broken in the case. however, i would be really suprised if she has a fever. she just does not look sick. she is very alert and acts completely normal. there is nothing about her that would lead one to think she has a fever. i will have to get another thermometer before i can temp her.

her ears are normal temp, and if that is a good indication, then milk fever is not the problem.

she eats like a horse, thus i dont think it is ketosis.

this morning she tried to get up and didnt the first try, but made it the second. i think what MM told me is right on, i lean towards her just being a little on the old side and a little stiff on the cold mornings.

i will just continue to watch her. i bought her as a 5-6 year old about 3 weeks ago, but that may not be the case.

one other thing i noticed, but had forgotten is... when i unloaded her about 3 weeks ago and put minerals in front of her, she gobbled them down. maybe she is just deficient in that area and if so hopefully a little more time will take care of that.

thanks

jt

 

[Lucky_P]

I wouldn't give it SQ - I have seen some really nasty cellulitis/abscess cases from SQ and perivascular administration. IV is best, but IP(intraperitoneal - into the abdominal cavity) is OK - just slower. The oral gel formulations can be helpful, as well.
I've had 'bad' milk fever cows - flat out, and close to death - die during administration of IV calcium solutions - and not just when I was fresh out of school. Even if you're running it in slowly and monitoring the heartbeat, some of them are gonna kick off on you. If you treat enough of them, you're gonna lose some.

I tried to euthanize a non-milk fever cow with IV Ca++ one time, with no luck - I'd received a radio call from the clinic while I was out on rounds, about a heifer who'd been down for several days with obturator paralysis from a difficult calving, and the buzzards were eating her alive, and the owners wanted her put down. I didn't wear/carry a sidearm at the time, and as luck would have it, I didn't have any euthanasia solution on the truck. I figured that as much as they'd warned us in vet school about stopping the heart by running Ca++ in too fast, it ought to be a cinch to put this girl out of her misery if I just ran it in as fast as it'd go; doesn't work - 3 bottles of Ca/Mg IV in rapid succession did nothing. She never even rolled her eyes or missed a beat.

 

[Anonymous]

With ketosis their breath will smell like acetone.
Hope you get this figured out.

 

[jt]

With ketosis their breath will smell like acetone.
Hope you get this figured out.

thanks, but i dont thinks its ketosis. i have lightened her milk load and am making sure she gets plenty of good feed in addition to the hay she eats. she has been on very good hay from day one. she seems to be doing better.

lucky p.. i gave her 500cc of a milk fever treatment that could go either way, SQ or intravaneously. i gave her about 150 cc in the milk vein and the rest SQ. prior to giving this i was having to lift her every morning and evening, but not since the med got into her system.

i still think MM hit it right on. just stiff and weak. probably older than i was told she was.

thanks

jt