What are the first symptoms of milk fever?

In the first stage the cow is still standing but shows muscle tremors, unusual excitability, cold ears and a stiff gait. This stage lasts a few hours before the cow goes down and can no longer get up.

Does milk fever actually cause fever?

No. Despite the name, milk fever is usually not accompanied by a raised temperature: body temperature is normal or even below normal, with cold extremities. The name comes from its link with the onset of lactation.

Why won't my cow get up after the calcium infusion?

Prolonged recumbency causes compression damage to the muscles which prevents the cow from rising even once blood calcium is corrected. In that case, gentle assisted lifting (a pneumatic lifting cushion) is needed to avoid chronic downer cow syndrome.

How can milk fever be prevented?

The key measures are a dry-cow ration low in calcium and potassium (or with negative DCAD), calcium boluses at calving for at-risk cows, close monitoring during the first 48 hours after calving and controlled body condition.

Milk fever in cows: symptoms, treatment, prevention

Milk fever — or parturient hypocalcaemia — is one of the most common metabolic diseases of dairy cows. It strikes around calving, when the sudden start of lactation drains the animal's calcium reserves. Untreated, it can be fatal within hours. Properly managed, it responds remarkably well.

What is milk fever?

At the start of lactation, colostrum production demands a massive amount of calcium. If the mobilisation of bone calcium cannot keep up, blood calcium drops. Calcium is essential for muscle contraction: the cow weakens, trembles, then goes down and cannot get up.

Contrary to what the name suggests, milk fever is usually not accompanied by fever: body temperature is normal or even below normal.

The three stages of hypocalcaemia

Stage 1 — the cow is still standing

Excitability, muscle tremors, cold ears, a stiff and hesitant gait. This stage often goes unnoticed and lasts only a few hours.

Stage 2 — the cow is down in sternal position

The cow can no longer get up; the head is often turned back towards the flank in a « swan neck » posture. Dry muzzle, cold extremities, slowed digestion, dilated pupils.

Stage 3 — the cow is flat on her side

Progressive loss of consciousness, bloat, risk of aspiration. Without treatment, death occurs within hours.

Emergency treatment

The reference treatment is a slow intravenous calcium infusion, administered by the veterinarian, often supplemented with phosphorus and magnesium. The response is often spectacular: many cows are back on their feet within hours.

But beware of the vicious circle

A cow that has been down for a long time develops compression damage to her muscles
This damage prevents her from getting up even once blood calcium is corrected
Every failed lifting attempt worsens the injuries and exhausts the animal
This is the leading cause of « chronic downer cows » after milk fever

Lifting: the often neglected link

If the cow does not get up within hours of the infusion, she must be actively lifted — but gently. A pneumatic lifting cushion such as Air-cow puts the animal back into a physiological standing position in about ten minutes, without compression or pain. The animal can stay safely in the device, eat and drink, while her muscles recover.

Field experience shows that a milk fever cow lifted early with an air cushion, alongside calcium treatment, recovers significantly faster and avoids the complications of recumbency.

Prevention

An adapted dry-cow ration: limit calcium and potassium intake before calving, or use a negative DCAD ration.
Calcium boluses or gels at calving for at-risk cows (3rd lactation and beyond, previous cases).
Close monitoring during the 48 hours after calving, when 80% of cases occur.
Controlled body condition: cows that are too fat at calving are at higher risk.

Milk fever in cows: symptoms, treatment and prevention