The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1903-10-15
r1iIk Fever of the Cow

The newly calved adult cow that has
had an easy labor and cleaned prompt
ly, suddenly becomes restless, sticks
her tongue out, refuses feed steps up
and down with her hind feet, gets a
"kink' in her neck, "wabbles" when
exercised, and finally goes down para
lyzed with milk, urine and manure
suppressed, tucks her head into her side
snores loudly, becomes bloated, un-
conscious, and lies stretched out upon
her side until death occurs i'll from
three hours to three days. Some cows
show delirum, struggle and pound the
Head upon the ground. The majority
of cases, however. are quiet, and have
no fever; the temperature is more often
below normal.
CAUSE. The exact cause of milk
fever has not been determined but DR..
j. Schmidt, Danish veterinarian,
points out that the disease may be due
to poisonous products derived from
tissue changes taking place in the udder
while experience teaches that certain
conditions apparently render cow of
the proper age peculiarly susceptible.
A few of these aggravating causes are:
hot, badly ventilated, filthy stables;
heavy feeding upon grain foods (con-
centrates) right up to the time of calv-
ing; lack of exercise; excessive use Of
succulent foods; sudden plethora in
duced by new grass in spring: heredity;
Immediate and complete removal of the
first milk produced after calving, or
immediate removal of the newborn
calf
NATURAL PREVENTION. 1t is safe to
assert that the disease may be abso-
lutely prevented by the adoption of the
following simple, natural methods.
Start six weeks prior to calving and
feed COW upon dry hay, bran mashes
and little haxseed meal, but no corn,
corn meal, shorts, middlings, oatmeal,
gluten meal, malt sprouts, or any
similar concentrate One month from
calving increase the amount of faxseed
meal mixed in the bran mashes to in
sure keeping the bowels freely open.
If there is tendency to constipation,
despite the increased amount of oilmeal
dissolve two ounces of EPSON salts in
the mash or drinking water once or
twice daily as required. One week be-
fore calving double the amount of oil
meal daily, and give at calving, if the
COW is cOstive, one pound of epson
salts, one ounce of ground ginger root
and one ounce of saltpeter with cup
full of molasses in two quarts of warm
water, at one dose, slowly and care
fully from long necked bottle. Dur
ing all this time the COW is to be given
ample out door exercise daily to keep
her blood in full circulation, all the
organs of the body in proper order and
her muscles full and strong.
This method of preventive treatment
applies equally to the susceptible COW
whose calf is expected when green
grass is in its spring flush. She is to
be kept in dry yard and there to have
the same food and care given the COW
about to calve prior to the advent Of
grass. When calf comes allow it to
suckle for three days or draw off some
of the milk frequently by band do not
milk clean at first.
MEDICINAL PREVENTION. Unless the
cow has suffered previous attack of
the disease predisposing her to a second
attack and necessitating larger doses of
medicine, it will be found safe and
sufficient in average cases to give her
as a preventive one-half drachm of
iodide of potash twice daily for three
days, then three times daily during the
week preceding parturition, and two
drachms the moment it is observed that
she is about to calve. Where the COW
is fat she may also have two drachms
immediately after parturition. While
this plan succeeds ii checks milk flow
after calving hence is som ewhat OBJ
jectionable.
TREATMENT. Place COW attacked
with milk fever in box stall or in a
shady place in summer time when out
Of doors.
Prop her up by means Of bags filled
with straw so that she must lie upon
her sternum breast bone) Keep her
head up in the same manner. She will
soon bloat and die if allowed to lie up
on her side. Tap the paunch with tro-
car and cannula if she is bloated when
found. Give no drenches of medicine
by the mouth Strip away the milk.
wash the udder clean with warm water
and soap adding zenoleum to make
per cent solution. This done, place the
udder upon clean rubber sheet to pre-
vent soiling. By means of a fivefoot
length of quarter inch rubber hose, in