Relationship of nutrition to abomasal displacement and parturient paresis

Abstract

This paper was presented at the Minnesota Dairy Conference for Veterinarians (Minnesota, USA, 5-6 June, 1991). Recent research seems to indicate that anion-cation balance is more important than calcium intake relative to susceptibility to milk fever. Feeding anionic salts for a short period pre partum can reduce the risk of milk fever. When anionic salts were given for 21 days pre partum, the incidence of parturient paresis and hypocalcaemia was reduced. Recent research has demonstrated that feeding anionic salts for 7 days can alter calcium metabolism. The feeding of 125 g each of ammonium chloride and sulphate for 21 days costs approx. $2.50 per cow. If milk fever is associated with a 14% decrease in subsequent milk production, a 1% reduction in the incidence of milk would be cost effective. There may be some problems associated with the feeding of anionic salts. First, anionic salts are not palatable and it may be difficult to mask the taste of anionic salts unless they are given incorporated with silages. In addition, they tend to concentrate in the bottom of the feed trough rations, which are composed of dry materials. Secondly, there is one report in the literature that suggests the ammonium salts can be toxic if they are dosed over a short period of time. Thirdly, it may be difficult to add enough anionic salts to correct extremely cationic diets. However, even adding some anionic salt to the diet will improve the cation-anion balance.