The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1914-12-26
Milk Fever---Its Symptoms and Treatment

4VA11A i SfNA Az 40
Milk fever is malady of well nour-
ished, heavy-milking COWS and is very
common in the dairy districts Of this
and other countries.
Is usually attacks the best milking
members of the herd and at the time
of the heaviest milk flow; so that it
causes severe losses and is OF the
greatest economic Importance.
The economic Importance of the dis |
ease and the simplicity of its treat
ment makes it valuable for every farm
er to know. The purpose of this artl-
Gle is to acquaint our readers with the
symptoms, treatment and mortality of
the disease, as well as it's prevention.
Description.
Milk fever occurs during the most
active period of cows life-that is,
with fourth to sixth calf-and is char
acterizel by it's sudden onset and the
paralysis of the animal. The animal
loses sensation and within few hours
| is either dead or recovering. The dis
ease follows shortly the act of calving
and occurs principally during the sum-
mer season. One attack predisposes
the animal to a recurrence OF the
trouble.
The name, milk fever, is misleading
one, for the animal has no fever and
the temperature really in some cases
drops. The correct term for the dis
ease is parturient paresis.
Occurrences and Causes.
This malady occurs only in the dairy
breeds, except few exceptional cases.
The Jersey, Guernsey, and Holstein are
the breeds which are most susceptible.
The beef breeds, such as the Angus,
Hereford, and Shorthorns, are seldom
if ever affected.
Experience shows that the most i'm
portant predisposing cause is the great
activity of the udder in milk secreting
This organ is most active after the
fourth to sixth parturition, and it is
here that most of the cases occur.
Another factor very important in bring
ing about the disease is the existence
of plethoric condition of the system,
the results of excessive feeding and
lack of exercise before calving.
Good dairy COWS use all food in ex-
cess of the amount necessary to main
tain the body for manufacturing milk
instead of laying on fat, so that fat
dairy COWS are not in natural condi-
tion The heavily fed COW, then, is
very subject to milk fever.
i Fatness of the animal has been
ascribed an important place in causing
the disease, but this cannot be so i'm
portant a factor as the two above men,
toned, as the beef breeds are usually
in far better condition before calVing
than are the dairy breeds, and yet
milk fever is rarity among these.
Many theories have been advanced
by various investigators as to the cause
of the disease, but these have all been
abandoned as a result of further patho-
logical discoveries. With all the theo-
|ries and facts of the disease, there yet
remain many things to be learned about
the true cause of the disease.
Symptoms.
The disease in it's common form is
somewhat easy of diagnosis and almost
any dairyman can recognize it at a
glance. The presence of a veterina.
rian is not necessary for the recogni-
ton or treatment of the disease; how
J lever, it is advisable to have one if
available, owing to complications which
might set in. The disease usually ap-
pears within two days after birth OF
the calf and begins by the animal being
} excited, restless and staring. She
treads with the hind feet and switches
her tail, looking uneasily about he1
stall. She may below occasionally
show colicky symptoms and make in
effectual attempts at relieving the
} bowels. In few hours the animal be-
comes paralyzed and staggers; later
weakens in the limbs, becomes quieter
and goes down unable to rise. The COW
is now quite paralyzed, lies perfectly
quiet, eyes staringly fixed and is alb
} solutely unheedful of her surroundings
} The head is turned around to the side
and rests upon the chest, causing g