Prevention of milk fever by oral administration of encapsulated Ca-salts

Abstract

The prophylactic effect on milk fever by repeated oral administration of encapsulated Ca-salts in close correlation with calving was tested in comparison with both a commercially available Ca-gel ('Paregel') and placebo capsules. Two trials involved a total of 193 cows that had contracted milk fever at their last calving. In trial I 28.8% of the cows treated with Ca-capsules contracted milk fever compared with 35.6% of the 'Paregel'-treated cows. In trial II 14.6% of the cows in the capsule-treated group contracted the disease compared with 54.8% in the placebo group.