Dissertationen 1996-2013
Treatment of parturient paresis in cows with a large amount of calcium
Wiltrud Jehle, 2004
Vetsuisse-Fakultät Universität Zürich, Departement für Nutztiere
Contact: swindler@vetclinics.unizh.ch
The objective of this study was to examine the course of serum electrolyte concentrations and the therapeutic success after infusion of a large amount of calcium in cows with parturient paresis.
Thirty parturient paretic cows were divided into two groups of 15 animals each. The cows of both groups were treated intravenously with 1000 ml of a calcium solution. The solution contained a total of 31.3 g calcium, 5.5 g magnesium and 14.2 g phosphorus in the form of phosphite. One group received 200 ml calcium solution as a high rate infusion followed by 800 ml as a continuous intravenous drip over six hours. The other group received 500 ml as a high rate infusion and 500 ml as a continuous intravenous drip. Blood samples for the determination of calcium, ionised calcium, magnesium and inorganic phosphorus concentrations were collected over a period of three days.
Before the treatment, the average serum concentration of calcium was 1.20 ± 0.46 mmol/l and that of ionised calcium was 0.67 ± 0.23 mmol/l. The concentration of magnesium was on average 1.20 ± 0.27 mmol/l and the inorganic phosphorus concentration 0.52 ± 0.31 mmol/l.
Independent of the amount given as initial high rate infusion, a hypercalcaemic state was achieved within 10 minutes of the start of treatment and continued for a period of eight hours. 24 and 48 hours after start of therapy, the calcium concentration in both groups had fallen again below normal values. After 72 hours the concentration had returned to normal.
The concentration of the inorganic phosphorus rose slowly and with a delay and did not reach the normal range within eight hours. 48 and 72 hours after therapy, normophosphataemia was present.
No difference was found between the therapeutic success of the two groups. The success rate was no better then that obtained in an earlier study with an infusion of 600 ml of the same solution (SALIS, 2002). After a single treatment, 46.6 % of the paretic cows were cured. This therapeutic success rate is located in the lower range of results described in literature.
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