Observation

The most consistently found symptom in milk fever cases is a low blood calcium level, which drops in the blood serum from a normal of about 10 mg/100 ml to 3 to 7 mg/100 ml. Treatment in all cases attempts to bring the serum calcium level to normal. At the onset, the cow may exhibit some unsteadiness as she walks. More frequently, the cow is found lying down with her head displaced to one side or turned into the flank. Other symptoms commonly observed are depression, eyes dull and staring, pupils dilated, subnormal to normal temperature, cold ears, slight muscle spasms, sleepy attitude, inability to rise, and increased pulse rate—50 to 85 per minute. In advanced cases of milk fever, there is a complete paralysis and coma followed by death. When coma approaches, the cow will lie on her side. Bloat usually occurs if the cow remains in this position very long.

Cause:
Mineral imbalance, the proportion of the five basic minerals, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium and potassium (+ cobalt and copper) is not in balance, which inhibits the absorption of these elements. Also, milk fever incidents at calving can be caused by an overloaded liver and a deficiency in the metabolism of phosphorus; by resumption of high production too soon after calving, by the demineralization of big milk producers as they age.

Treatment

Prevention: Systematically using calcium injection gives fast results, but at the cost of cardiac and general weakening of the animal, which never fully recovers. The best strategy is the prevention of milk fevers:

A) During gestation, give MINSOL+ MOD2SOL once a day during 3 days at the beginning of gestation, then once a month for 3 days until the end of gestation for the cows, up to 3 calving.
B) Three weeks before calving, give LIVERSOL, once a day, three days, to stimulate the liver (and phosphorus assimilation) and increase the absorption of dry matter.
C) One week before calving, give MINSOL, once a day. For big producers, cows fourth lactation or greater, cows with a history of milk fever and their daughters, give SPEEDSOL+ MINSOL twice a day for at least 5 days before calving, and 2-3 days after. If fever appears, add SEPTISOL twice a day until fever dissipates.

Protocol for mineral deficiencies:

Calcium: standard milk paralysis, at calving time. With or without calcium injection, add SPEEDSOL+ MINSOL twice a day for 3 to 5 days to accelerate calcium assimilation to avoid a relapse and more calcium injections.

Phosphorus: milk fever that rapidly affects the general well being of the cow. The cow exhibits weakness, thirst, loss of appetite; pica, or appetite for indigestible food; loss of fertility, general lack of energy. Give MINSOL+MOD2SOL in the morning and SPEEDSOL+MOD5SOL in the evening, at least 3 days.

Magnesium: Grass tetany or grass staggers often occurs in lactating cows within the first few months after calving. It appears as muscular spasms and convulsions and can eventually cause death.

The protocol for Grass Tetany is the same as for regular milk fever. Short periods of fasting, which can occur during yarding, transport or exposure to cold, wet, windy weather.

Rickets, thinness or growth delay

Observation

Among younger animals, rickets is an illness that stops or slows the process of calcification, with skeleton deformations, swollen, warm and painful joints (leading to arthritis), curving of the limbs or the spine, causing difficulty walking. Growth is altered and deformations are permanent.

Cause:
Natural for phosphoric contitutions, de-mineralization of dams and calves, nutrition deficiency in nurse milk in the first six months of growth, deficiency in effective fibre (metabolic type no 12) that would develop a sturdy rumen.

Treatment

MINSOL+ MOD2SOL once a day during 10 days 1n the 1st month, 5 days the 2nd month, 3 days the third month and 2 days from the fourth to the sixth months of age. For younger calves, the growth deficit can be rapidly recovered. See also Preventive plan for calves.

To increase milk production

Observation

In a lineage that has a tendency to produce fat, retain its milk, and develop cysts:

Cause:
Carbonic heredity (heavy), sycosis following vaccines, excess of slow or fast fermentable fibres (metabolic Types no 1 and 2), or excess of fine digestible fibres (Type no 9).

Treatment

A) For individual animals: MOD1SOL+ MOD4SOL or MOD6SOL (according to the Type), twice a day for 2 days. Once a week in the first month, then once a months for 3 to 6 months.

B) For the lineage: during gestation, MOD1SOL, twice a day, two days in each month of gestation. Three weeks before calving, give LIVERSOL once a day for 3 days.

For milk let down

Observation

Causes:

A) acute, following a difficult calving, especially on fat subjects or those who have put on weight quickly: STRESSOL, in the morning, MILKSOL + MOD1SOL, in the evening 3 days in a row.

B) chronic acidosis= excess of rapidly digesting energy (metabolic Type no 1) MOD4SOL + MOD1SOL in the morning, FLAMESOL in the evening, 2 days a week for 1 month. Be sure to give a good quantity of long dry hay.

Treatment

SOLMILK twice a day alternately with SOLASSIMIL + SOLMODIFIER 2, twice a day for 3 days, then once a day for 3 days.

To stimulate weight gain

Treatment

Through assimilation of proteins by meat cattle or thin cows.

A) Thin dairy cows: Following demineralization during gestation: Give MOD2SOL+ MINSOL, 3 days as soon as you see she does not gain enough weight, or at the beginning of gestation, then once a month for every month of gestation.

• A deficiency in long structural fibre (dry hay) is an important cause of poor digestion and assimilation of carbohydrates and proteins in the ration (metabolic Type no 12). MOD2SOL +MINSOL, once a day for 3 days, then once a week for a month or more.
  
  
• If there is also an excess of sugar (Type no 1) the ruminal instability problem is aggravated by acidosis Give MOD2SOL+ MINSOL for 2 days, MOD4SOL for 2 days, and then each once a week for one month.

B) Fattening of beef: MOD2SOL+ MINSOL once a week, MOD3SOL once a week.

Acetonemia or ketosis

Observation

Metabolic imbalance during lactation, 6 to 8 weeks after calving, no matter the age.

Cause:
Often a deficiency in carbohydrates or slow sugars (metabolic Type no 4) accentuated by any form of ruminal instability (metabolic Type no 9) or liver overload (metabolic Type no 5). Usually, a close up ration too high in protein, or a ration too aggressive post calving. Over weight cows or cows dry too long are susceptible to this situation.

Treatment

LIVERSOL + INTOXSOL, 2 to 3 times a day, feed only dry hay until the cows intake returns to normal, usually 1 to 3 or 4 days. Re-introduce concentrate and silages slowly.