Milk Fever (Bovine Parturient Paresis): Pathogenesis, Clinical Stages, and Nutritional Prevention Strategies
1. Introduction Milk fever is one of the most important metabolic disorders in dairy cattle, especially in older, high milk-yielding dairy cows [1, 6]. Unlike small animal eclampsia , milk fever in cattle is accompanied by progressive flaccid paralysis rather than tetany . However, subclinical hypocalcemia , where the cow is standing but has low blood calcium levels, is more prevalent and is often accompanied by other diseases such as displaced abomasum , ketosis , and retained placenta [2, 10]. 2. Pathogenesis: The Calcium GapLactation demands that the cow mobilizes 20-30 grams of calcium daily, while her total blood calcium pool is only 3 grams [2, 4]. •Homeostatic Failure To overcome the calcium deficit, the cow has to mobilize more calcium from her bones and intestine. This is done with the help of Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) and Vitamin D . •Risk Factors High amounts of potassium in the feed, which cause metabolic alkalosis , make PTH receptors insensitive, effectively 'lockin...