Metabolic Solutions – Metabolic Disease

Calcium is vital for:
Muscle function, milk production.

Magnesium is vital for:
Calcium absorption, the nervous system.

Energy is vital for:
All metabolic functions.

Phosphorus is vital for:
Strong bones, energy production, growth, cell repair

Vitamin B12 is vital for:
Converting dietary intake (feed) into a format useful to a cow’s metabolic processes.

Primary disorder:
Milk fever, caused by low calcium levels in the blood (hypocalcaemia).

Primary disorder:
Grass staggers, due to a lack of magnesium (hypomagnesaemia).

Primary disorder:
Ketosis (acetonaemia) occurs when the energy demands of lactation exceed what’s available from the diet.

Primary disorder:
Caused by low phosphorus levels in the blood (hypophosphataemia)

Primary disorder:
Cobalt (Vit. B12 precursor) deficiency.

Risk period:
Typically around calving and early lactation.

Risk period:
Extended yarding, bad weather, or when feeding on well fertilised or rapidly growing pasture.

Risk period:
Typical during the post-calving energy gap.

Risk period:
The start of lactation, when feeding fodder beets. Can be related to low calcium.

Risk period:
Periods of reduced feed intake or feeding cobalt deficient pasture.

Symptoms may include:
Weakness, wobbliness, depression, S-shaped bend in the neck, glassy eyed, dilated pupils, constipation, low temperature, fast but weak heart rate, inability to rise if down.

Symptoms may include:
Twitching of the ears, frothing at the mouth, bellowing, muscle tremors and aggression, followed by a spastic gait, incoordination, muscle spasms and finally recumbency.

Symptoms may include:
Loss of condition, lack of appetite, grinding of teeth, glazed eyes, sweet sickly odour to breath and milk, may become aggressive.

Symptoms may include:
Can exist without visible signs, or become evident as ill-thrift, muscle weakness, lack of appetite, abnormal licking, pica, and recumbency.

Symptoms may include:
Reduced appetite, reduced milk production and ill-thrift.

Treatment options:
Administering calcium borogluconate intravenously. Can be supported with oral calcium supplements.

Treatment options:
Subcutaneous injection of 20% magnesium sulphate followed by oral magnesium oxide or chloride.

Treatment options:
A single dose of intravenous 40% dextrose solution combined with twice daily oral propylene glycol.

Treatment options:
Oral supplementation of phosphate salts, restoring calcium levels.

Treatment options:
Cyanocobalamin or Hydroxocobalamin (Vitamin B12) as injection.