Factors affecting the success rate of treatment of recumbent dairy cows suffering from hypocalcaemia

We aimed to investigate the ratio of accompanying diseases in cows suffering from clinical hypocalcaemia and their influence on cure rate. In five veterinary practices in different regions of Germany, all recumbent cows around parturition were included in the study for a period of 1 year. After recording the case history a clinical examination was done and a serum sample was taken to measure the concentrations of calcium and phosphorus magnesium, beta-hydroxybutyrate, total bilirubin, cholesterol, urea, and the activities of ASAT, CK, and GLDH. Only cows with hypocalcaemia entered the statistical analysis. Hypocalcaemia was the major cause of recumbency in cows of the second lactation or elder. Muscle damage was the second frequent diagnose in recumbent cows and the major concomitant disease in hypocalcaemic cows. The overall cure rate was between 89.4% and 94.8%. Calcium and phosphorus concentrations did not have an influence on cure rate. Non-cured cows had higher serum activities of CK (p<0.043) and ASAT (p<0.006). Nevertheless, the activities of CK and ASAT were no good predictors of treatment failure because of their low specificity and the high cure rate of the cows in the five practices.     

Experimental studies on the impact of an increased dose of anionic salts on the metabolism of dairy cows

Summary

This study was initiated to investigate the influence of a daily dose of anionic salts (AS) above the valid upper limit at present on metabolism of dairy cows. Eleven non‐pregnant and non‐lactating Holstein‐Friesian crossbred cows with a permanent rumen cannula were used in a study with a controlled feeding design. The initial daily dose was 2500 meq/day, which resulted in a Dietary Cation Anion Difference (DCAD) of ‐211 meq/kg dry matter. Every seven days, the daily dose was raised by 500 meq. If a cow stopped eating, the application of AS was stopped and these cows were monitored over the next seven days. On day 30 another batch of hay, having the same DCAD but higher concentrations of minerals and energy, was fed. Blood and urine samples were taken to monitor acid‐base balance and calcium concentrations. Acid‐base balance was strongly influenced by AS. Blood pH dropped steadily and reached values around 7.23. Urine pH dropped quickly below 6 and remained at that level regardless of the increased dosage of AS. Net acid base excretion (NABE) fell continuously with the increase of the dosage of AS and reached values below ‐200 mmol/l. Calcium concentrations in the serum were nearly stable, but those in urine increased sharply and remained on an elevated level with increasing doses of AS. A few days before the individual cow's refusal of feed intake, calcium excretion in urine decreased. The majority of cows stopped eating while consuming a diet containing 3500 to 4000 meq AS except two animals who consumed up to 6000 meq/day AS but they received the better hay in the second half of the treatment period. In this time pH in blood increased slowly. NABE remained stable on a low level at ‐100 mmol/l. The results showed that with an increasing amount of AS fed the risk of clinical acidosis increased. The decreasing urine concentrations of calcium indicate a breakdown of the compensation capability of the single cow. Besides the dose of AS fed, the quality of the feed stuff might be another factor concerning the tolerance of cows against AS.     

Duration of the effects of anionic salts on the acid–base status in cows fed different anionic salts only once daily

Seeing the fact that farm managers in Germany feed anionic salts to transition cows once daily, this study set out to evaluate whether the effects on the acid–base status (ABS) and calcium excretion in urine would persist throughout the entire day beyond this feeding practice. Eleven non-lactating, non-pregnant, Holstein–Friesian-cows with a rumen fistula were administered 2Eq of calcium chloride (CaCl₂/five cows) or calcium sulfate (CaSO₄/six cows) once daily for a period of 1 week. At day 7, blood and urine samples were taken every 4 h starting at 06:00 a.m. before feeding the anionic salts, and then ending at the same time the next day. Feeding anionic salts to the cows induced metabolic acidosis in both of the groups. The changes tended to be greater in CaCl₂-cows. After 12 h, the acidosis lessened and the initial values were reached after 24 h. The CaCl₂-cows, however, still showed signs of compensated metabolic acidosis. The results of the present study showed that feeding anionic salts once daily confined the risk of an interrupted effect of the anionic salts on the acid–base status as well as calcium metabolism after 12 h.     

Veterinary dairy herd health management in Europe: constraints and perspectives

The nature of veterinary work in dairy health management in Europe has changed over the past years and will change even more dramatically in the near future. The consumers and the media show increasing concern about animal welfare, safety of products of animal origin and traceability of animal products. Farmers in Europe have to produce under strict, often expensive and laborious regulations, while still commercially competing with farmers outside the EU and not subject to the same rules. Veterinarians should adapt their knowledge and skills to the new challenges and developments of the dairy sector. Dairy farmers nowadays ask for support in areas that go beyond clinical activities: environmental protection, welfare, nutrition, grassland management, economics and business management. Bovine practitioners should be able to advise in many different areas and subjects--that is the challenge to our profession. Veterinary education with regards to cattle health management should start with individual animal clinical work, which constitutes the basis of herd health advisory programmes. The bovine practitioner should then look beyond that and regard the herd as the unit. Each diseased cow or group of cows should be detected early enough to avoid financial losses or such losses should be prevented altogether by detecting and managing risk factors contributing to disease occurrence. Herd health and production management programmes represent the first level to optimise dairy farm performance. Expansions to that should further be considered, comprising both animal health and welfare issues, as well as food safety and public health issues. The latter could be addressed by quality risk management programmes following the HACCP-principles. Cattle veterinarians should follow recent developments and invest in new skills and knowledge in order to maintain their usefulness to the modern dairy farmer. Finally we are convinced that the cattle practitioner should evolve into this direction, otherwise the veterinarian as we know him will miss the train in the next years.     

Impact of a simultaneous application of anionic salts and rumen buffer on acid-base-balance and mineral metabolism in dairy cows

In this study, the influence of simultaneous application of anionic salts (AS) and rumen buffer (RB) on the metabolism of dairy cows was examined. Eleven rumen fistulated, non-pregnant and non-lactating dairy cows received equal amounts of one AS (CaCl2 or CaSO4) and one RB (NaHCO3 or KHCO3) via rumen cannula during feeding time over a period of eight days. Before the first application of AS and RB and on day eight of the treatment period, blood, urine and rumen fluid samples were taken. The following parameters were measured: whole blood: pH, base excess, bicarbonate; serum: sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium; urine: pH, net acid base excretion, sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium; rumen fluid: pH. The changes of each parameter were compared via ANOVA.The changes in acid-base balance on day eight were very small, although significant. But p-values showed that the statistical evidence was low.The most changes occurred when NaHCO3 was fed in combination with one of the AS used. In this case a small acidogenic load was seen in blood (p < 0.05), and calcium concentrations increased slightly (p < 0.05). No alkalotic reaction could be detected when any combination of AS and RB were given to the cows. Simultaneous application of AS and RB results in a loss of effectivity of AS. Neither an adequate acidification of blood nor an activation of calcium metabolism occurred. In feed ration for cows in the last weeks of pregnancy, rumen buffer must not be fed, if anionic salts are given for prevention of parturient paresis.     

The role of dietary calcium concentration in the use of anionic salts to prevent parturient paresis in dairy cows

The role of dietary calcium concentration during the feeding of anionic salts (AS) was reviewed. Hypocalcaemia is still the major cause of parturient paresis in dairy cows. Feeding AS is an established method for preventing severe hypocalcaemia by activating the calcium metabolism in the last two to three weeks before parturition by inducing a metabolic acidosis. In compensation for this acidosis, the organism increases the concentrations of ionised Ca [Ca2+] in the blood. This increase leads to an increasing excretion of calcium via the urine, which is ensued by an increased calcium absorption in the intestine. The ongoing metabolic acidosis changed the flux of Ca. The size of the Ca pool, however, remained unchanged. As the calcium metabolism is activated by AS, it seems necessary to increase the amount of calcium that is fed to the cows. Several studies examined the impact of different dietary calcium concentrations on the acid-base balance and the calcium metabolism in cows fed anionic salts. The study designs vary concerning the amounts of calcium fed and the use of pregnant or non-pregnant cows. Only one study combined the feeding of AS with a very low amount of calcium, which fell below the daily requirements of pregnant cows in the last three weeks before parturition. In this study, the calcium balance post partum was better in the cows that were administered AS and a high calcium diet. In the other studies, the amount of calcium in the different experimental groups and the difference between the amounts of calcium fed varied greatly. As far as it was monitored in the studies, the calcium concentration of the diet did not have a significant impact on the degree of acidosis induced by AS. In pregnant cows, no significant differences in the calcium concentration in serum or urine occurred before parturition. Some of the researchers found a lower incidence of parturient paresis when cows were fed a combination of AS and a higher amount of calcium, but some other researches did not. Interestingly, the parameters of bone metabolism did not change between experimental groups. According to what is currently known, the feeding of AS to transition cows should not be combined with a dietary calcium concentration that falls below the requirement of cows in this stage of lactation. On the other hand, there is no need to increase the Ca concentration. When AS are used the dietary calcium concentration should be between 9 g and 12 g/kg dry matter. Further research is needed to investigate the role of dietary calcium regarding the use of AS for improving Ca metabolism in dairy cows around parturition.     

The effect of various anionic salts on ruminal pH and short-chain fatty acids in non-pregnant and non-lactating cows

AIM: To evaluate whether the different anionic salts used in the prevention of parturient paresis have an impact on the ruminal pH and the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) in mature non-pregnant, non-lactating cows.

METHODS: Eleven Holstein-Friesian crossbred cows were administered 2,000 mEq of either one of three chloride salts, viz CaCl₂, MgCl₂, or NH₄Cl; four sulphate salts, viz CaSO₄, CaSO₄ with a grain size of 10 µm, MgSO₄, or (NH₄)₂SO₄; two combinations of anionic salts, viz CaCl₂+MgSO₄, or CaSO₄+NH₄Cl; NaCl; or water, via a ruminal cannula over a 14-day treatment period. The salts and controls were assigned in an 11 × 11 Latin square, and the cows were distributed randomly. Ruminal fluid was collected four times in each treatment period for monitoring the ruminal pH, and four times a day at Days 7 and 14 for monitoring any changes in the concentrations of SCFA.

RESULTS: Feeding anionic salts did not change the ruminal pH, total concentration of SCFA, or distribution pattern of the main SCFA acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid or valeric acid (p>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Feeding anionic salts has no negative side effect on the ruminal pH and concentrations of SCFA in mature non-pregnant, non-lactating cattle. Impaired function of the rumen due to the feeding of anionic salts is not likely.     

Effect of rain on absorption after transdermal application of flunixin in calves

Flunixin is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that has anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic, and analgesic effects. Recently, a novel transdermal formulation was developed (Finadyne^® Transdermal, MSD Animal Health) and is now the first NSAID registered to be administered as a pour-on product in cattle. According to the manufacturer's instructions, the pour-on product should be applied only to dry skin and exposure to rain should be avoided for at least 6 hr after application. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of simulated exposure to light or heavy rain on flunixin absorption and bioavailability within the first 4 hr after administration. Therefore, an isocratic HPLC method was developed to quantify flunixin concentrations in bovine serum by UV detection. Light rain decreased flunixin absorption only when rain started immediately after flunixin administration, while light rain starting more than 30 min after administration of flunixin had no effect on absorption. Absorption and bioavailability of flunixin was impacted under simulated heavy rain conditions, when exposure to rain occurred within one hour after the application of the pour-on formulation, but not later.     

Experimental studies on the impact of an increased dose of anionic salts on the metabolism of dairy cows

This study was initiated to investigate the influence of a daily dose of anionic salts (AS) above the valid upper limit at present on metabolism of dairy cows. Eleven non-pregnant and non-lactating Holstein-Friesian crossbred cows with a permanent rumen cannula were used in a study with a controlled feeding design. The initial daily dose was 2500 meq/day, which resulted in a Dietary Cation Anion Difference (DCAD) of -211 meq/kg dry matter. Every seven days,the daily dose was raised by 500 meq. If a cow stopped eating, the application of AS was stopped and these cows were monitored over the next seven days. On day 30 another batch of hay, having the same DCAD but higher concentrations of minerals and energy, was fed. Blood and urine samples were taken to monitor acid-base balance and calcium concentrations. Acid-base balance was strongly influenced by AS. Blood pH dropped steadily and reached values around 7.23. Urine pH dropped quickly below 6 and remained at that level regardless of the increased dosage of AS. Net acid base excretion (NABE) fell continuously with the increase of the dosage of AS and reached values below -200 mmol/l. Calcium concentrations in the serum were nearly stable, but those in urine increased sharply and remained on an elevated level with increasing doses of AS. A few days before the individual cow's refusal of feed intake, calcium excretion in urine decreased. The majority of cows stopped eating while consuming a diet containing 3500 to 4000 meq AS except two animals who consumed up to 6000 meq/day AS but they received the better hay in the second half of the treatment period. In this time pH in blood increased slowly. NABE remained stable on a low level at -100 mmol/l. The results showed that with an increasing amount of AS fed the risk of clinical acidosis increased. The decreasing urine concentrations of calcium indicate a breakdown of the compensation capability of the single cow. Besides the dose of AS fed, the quality of the feed stuff might be another factor concerning the tolerance of cows against AS.