Calcium is one of the most abundant minerals in the body of an animal. The animal needs it for the formation of teeth, bones and other cartilaginous body parts. Inadequate supply of calcium weakens the body of an animal and increases the risk of fractures and other diseases. Milk fever is one of the conditions related to inadequate calcium in the body of a dairy cow. It often occurs in the last few days preceding the birth of a calf. The following discussion centres on calcium and its relevance to milk fever among expectant dairy cows: 

The Relationship Between Milk Fever and Calcium

The few days preceding the birth of a calf require the body of the animal to form colostrum-laden milk in readiness for suckling. The calf will rely on this milk for a few weeks before its body is ready to feed on and digest other feeds. In the process of milk formation, the cow draws lots of calcium from the blood into the mammary gland to enhance the calcium content in the milk. The colostrum ends up with close to ten times of the total amount of calcium left in the animal's blood. The cow then begins to show signs of calcium deficiency, especially if its diet has been low in calcium content.

Signs of Milk Fever in Cows

You need to be observant of your cows in the last few days preceding calving. This will help you detect any signs of milk fever so that you can start treating the condition as soon as possible. In most cases, the cow shows mixed signals of excitement, agitation and dullness. You will also witness tremors in the muscles surrounding the neck and head of the animal, cold ears and legs, a dry nose, and abnormally staring eyes. Lastly, the body temperature of the cow will also fall significantly below normal. 

Dealing With Milk Fever Through Nutrition

Dealing with milk fever involves a restoration of the calcium levels in the body of the cow. Good nutrition and calcium supplements will help in the animal's recovery. Begin with a combined mineral formula of calcium borogluconate with a forty percent concentration. Three hundred millilitres should be enough. For severe cases, you will need six hundred millilitres of a four-in-one mineral solution. You can use the solutions in the animal's stock feed or water, or inject them directly as directed by a veterinary doctor. However, you need to reduce the calcium content in the food of the animal as soon as it starts to lactate. It keeps their blood vessels normal by mobilising the natural calcium stores in the bones.

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