borogluconate and Hypocalcemia

Topics: Animals; Boric Acids; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Chenopodium album; Dairying; Female; Hypocalcemia; Lactation; Plant Poisoning; Plants, Toxic

Rumen motility was recorded on an experimental cow by means of telemetric signal transfer from strain gauge force transducers fixed surgically on the peritoneal surface of the rumen wall in the left flank. The normocalcaemic cow was given a standard milk fever treatment with calcium borogluconate (400 ml with 14 mg Ca/ml) intravenously. Transient clinical signs were: decreased rumination, muscle ticks, salivation and a heart rate reduction of 20%. Rectal temperature remained unaltered. Frequency of rumen contractions was reduced up to 40% whereas amplitude of contractions did not deviate from baseline values. Hypocalcaemia was induced in a second experiment by iv infusion of Na2EDTA. At 0.60 mmol/l ionized blood calcium periods of no motility were recorded whereas inactivity of rumen activity was persistent at 0.55 mmol/l ionized blood calcium. The cow went down at 0.45-0.48 mmol/l ionized blood calcium at which point the heart rate was increased by 40%. The high sensitivity of the method employed allowed the conclusion that already at a concentration of ionized blood calcium at 1.0 mmol/l both frequency and amplitude of rumen contractions decreased rapidly although eating behaviour and rumination appeared unaffected during the short term observation periods. Implications of this finding towards health and production in transition cows are discussed.

Topics: Animals; Boric Acids; Calcium; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Edetic Acid; Female; Gastrointestinal Motility; Hypercalcemia; Hypocalcemia; Parturient Paresis; Potassium; Pregnancy; Rumen; Sensitivity and Specificity; Stomach Diseases; Transducers

Topics: Aging; Animals; Boric Acids; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Female; Hypocalcemia; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications

Topics: Animals; Boric Acids; Calcium; Female; Horse Diseases; Horses; Hypocalcemia; Injections, Intravenous; Lactation Disorders; Magnesium; Male

The mean plasma concentration of cortisol at the time of the first treatment for hypocalcaemia at calving was significantly higher in 17 cows which did not recover, than in 53 cows which recovered. Healthy periparturient cows had significantly lower cortisol levels than cows with hypocalcaemia. There was a negative correlation between plasma cortisol and plasma calcium at the time of the first treatment. After adjustment for differences in plasma calcium there was no significant difference between cortisol concentrations in healthy cows and paretic cows which recovered. Plasma cortisol was positively correlated with both packed cell volume (PCV) and serum creatine kinase (CK). At first treatment cows which did not recover had higher levels of PCV and serum CK than cows which recovered, and the difference between the mean plasma cortisol concentrations of these two groups was related to differences in plasma calcium, PCV and serum CK. Plasma cortisol concentrations remained high in cases of protracted paresis.

Topics: Animals; Boric Acids; Calcium; Calcium Chloride; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Female; Hematocrit; Hydrocortisone; Hypocalcemia; Infusions, Parenteral; Pregnancy; Puerperal Disorders