Irish NZ
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- The mighty Waikato NZ
Stop spraying out all your dock plants, and feeding this monoculture diet.
tin hat on.
Dont have any docks to spray
Stop spraying out all your dock plants, and feeding this monoculture diet.
tin hat on.
Not sure I agree. At least on our farm. Never seen a calcium bolus get a cow up yet. Do give them as a preventative to older cows and are usually effective but they are no good on downer cows here. Maybe the cows are just to big and they need more.There was a very interesting talk at a conference I attended last year, showing injected calcium initially raised and then actually dropped blood calcium. I only inject now if they are on death's door and cannot swallow, otherwise I supplement orally.
Lots of people much cleverer than me don't believe phosphorus deficiency exists. Correct the calcium (orally) and the phosphorus will sort itself. I've measured lots of cows phosphorus level and I struggle to remember a low one. I've had more low in potassium. I suspect phosphorus is like homeopathy - give it and they get better - not that either is the actual cure.
I occasionally use phosphorus in cows, but not a lot. I wouldn't rush to in this case. I'd probably drench with a potassium containing rehydration solution, propylene glycol and perhaps give some steroid, depending on other signs and blood glucose/ketone levels.
i was wondering the same too, never heard of orally drenching with calcium till i read it on hereJust to be clear is that standard 40% bottled calcium orally or a different product ?
do you mean IV injected or under skin? or both?There was a very interesting talk at a conference I attended last year, showing injected calcium initially raised and then actually dropped blood calcium. I only inject now if they are on death's door and cannot swallow, otherwise I supplement orally.
Lots of people much cleverer than me don't believe phosphorus deficiency exists. Correct the calcium (orally) and the phosphorus will sort itself. I've measured lots of cows phosphorus level and I struggle to remember a low one. I've had more low in potassium. I suspect phosphorus is like homeopathy - give it and they get better - not that either is the actual cure.
I occasionally use phosphorus in cows, but not a lot. I wouldn't rush to in this case. I'd probably drench with a potassium containing rehydration solution, propylene glycol and perhaps give some steroid, depending on other signs and blood glucose/ketone levels.
IV.u
do you mean IV injected or under skin? or both?
i was wondering the same too, never heard of orally drenching with calcium till i read it on here
Just to be clear is that standard 40% bottled calcium orally or a different product ?
The talk suggested a similar effect when given either IV or under the skin, but a greater rise and fall IV. The speaker was arguing against the idea of giving a bottle under the skin as prevention and it also causes a fall in calcium level.
Calcium drench or bolus. One containing calcium chloride for faster action and a slower release salt. I think I have tried them all and Bovikalc perform best. Some contain the 'wrong' kind of calcium. Oral calcium chloride will raise the blood level from low back to normal in 20 minutes, faster and has a greater effect that under the skin, without the disadvantages of it dropping back too low.
I use this stuff
View attachment 464018
It's calcium chloride plus calcium sulfate with a bit of mag and other bits all soaked in ketol
I only use it as a preventative measure. All middle age cows get half a tube all old girls get a whole one. We had very few clinical milk fever cases last year but when we do they get an IV bottle straight away.
had similar here just kept lifting her twice a day for nearly a month then one morning she was up on her own still isolated but seems to be getting stronger each dayCow went down with milk fever before calving, had calcitrace bolus and bottle of calcium, this perked her up and had an assisted calving not tight and cleansed. Still can't stand up, can lift her with hip lifter and she walks about absolutely fine, eats and drinks but when she parks up again she can't stand without the lifter.
Any suggestions or is it down to time and patience?
Thanks Howard
According to the bovikalc website
- BOVIKALC should not be used for initial treatment of milk fever
- Do not use BOVIKALC for cows lying down or showing signs of milk fever
Your probably right but I'm think they would be better combined with a bottle of calcium ivThey just got to cover themselves.
Your probably right but I'm think they would be better combined with a bottle of calcium iv
100% correctWhen do you give it as a preventative?
I go wth the theory that cows when looked after properly before calving shouldn't get milk fever. If I need to give a preventive something is wrong.
When do you give it as a preventative?
I go wth the theory that cows when looked after properly before calving shouldn't get milk fever. If I need to give a preventive something is wrong.