INVESTIGATIONS OF THE EFFECT OF VARIOUS PROPHYLACTIC MEASURES ON THE INCIDENCE OF BOVINE-MILK FEVER

No adverse effects were observed in a trial of various prophylactic me asures for milk fever using 64 Deutsche Fleckvieh cows whose age range d.from 5 to 13 years. Calving and the post partum period were not affe cted. Four treatment and one control groups were used. The control gro up comprised 15 animals, 15 animals received vitamin D3 before calving , 14 animals received a single oral administration of CaCl2 before cal ving, 5 animals received repeated administrations of a CaCl2-gel befor e and during calving and 15 animals received calcium gluconate subcuta neously immediately after calving. An identifiable and analytically ve rifiable effect on the the stability of electrolyte homeostasis was ob served only after the administration of the calcium gluconate solution immediately after calving and after the administration of vitamin D3 before calving. The subcutaneous administration of calcium gluconate t o older cows prevented a biological peri-parturient hypocalcaemia and hypophosphataemia by increasing the concentrations of calcium and inor ganic phosphate. A comparable positive effect was observed after the a dministration of vitamin D3. The calcium and inorganic phosphate conce ntrations from day 3 before calving until 36 and 24 hours post partum were significantly greater in comparison to those in the control anima ls. In contrast, single or repeated oral administration of CaCl2-gel a nte partum and at calving had no sustained effect on the stability of electrolyte homeostasis in the peri-parturient period The repeated adm inistration of CaCl2 ante partum and at calving had a negative effect on serum calcium concentration from day 3 ante partum until 36 hours a fter calving.