PARTURIENT PARESIS (MILK FEVER): A POTENTIAL THREAT TO SUCCESSFUL MILK PRODUCTION-A REVIEW

Résumé

This study reviews the causes, symptoms, prevention, and treatment of parturient paresis and its effect on the dairy industry. Milk fever is a metabolic disease. Highly producing dairy cattle, cows in third to sixth lactation, cows with previous history of parturient paresis, Jersey and Guernsey breeds have been reported to be at high risk. It occurs when serum ionized calcium concentration is low and mostly close to the time of parturition. Preventive measures taken are majorly aimed at boosting blood calcium level around parturitionso as to reduce the incidence, treatment protocols also center around the use of calcium based drugs (salts). Such measures include proper dietary management, dietary calcium restriction, feeding acidogenic diets, and use of calcium chloride gel and calcium gluconate.