Hypocalcaemia, Biology

Assignment Help:

Hypocalcaemia

It is also known as milk fever or parturient paresis. The disease occurs due to imbalance in input and output of calcium and is characterized by reduced ionic calcium level in blood and clinical sings of general muscular weakness, paresis, hypothermia and depression.

Etiology: The disease occurs due to deficiency of ionic calcium in blood during the parturition when the demand is increased about 3-fold more. Its deficiency may be caused due to (i) excess loss of calcium in colostrum than its absorption from intestine, (ii) defective absorption of calcium from intestine during parturition, and (iii) insufficient mobilization of calcium from its stores to meet out the demand. Insufficiency of parathyroid gland at parturition affects the calcium mobilization. The calcium and phosphorus ratio in the diet should be appropriate (2.3:1) for proper absorption from the intestinal tract. Excessive use of some antibiotics like neomycin, streptomycin and gentamycin also reduces calcium ionization. So, their use in late pregnancy should be done with care. Disease occurs commonly in high yielding dairy animals, mostly in third or fourth lactation as milk yield is higher in these lactations. It is seen in dairy animals within 72 h or just at the parturition but rarely, it occurs during third to eighth week of parturition.

Pathogenesis: This disease is caused due to (i) excess loss of calcium in colostrum after parturition, if such loss is beyond the capacity of absorption from intestine and mobilization from bone; (ii) impairment of calcium absorption from intestine at parturition; and (iii) the failure in mobilization of calcium from stores to meet the immediate demand. When parathyroid hormone or vitamin D is not present in sufficient amount, disease develops. Diets high in sodium and potassium also result in hypocalcaemia. Due to low calcium, muscular tone, cardiac output, arterial blood pressure and rumen, abomasal and intestinal motility are reduced which in turn cause hypothermia, muscular weakness, constipation and low consciousness.

Clinical signs: This disease occurs in bovines in 3 stages - stage of excitement, sternal recumbency and lateral recumbency. In stage of excitement and tetany, animals are off feed, hypersensitive and reveal muscle tremors, shaking of head, protrusion of tongue, ataxia, stiffness of hind legs, and grinding of teeth. They fall easily and usually have normal body temperature at this stage. In sternal recumbency stage, animal looks drowsy, unable to stand and has dry muzzle, cold extremities, subnormal temperature, low consciousness and the head is turned into flank. Intensity of heart sounds is reduced and pulse is weak. The animal shows the sings of ruminal stasis, constipation, relaxation of anus and dilatation of pupils. In lateral recumbency stage, coma, flacidity of muscles, marked depression, subnormal temperature, impalpable pulse, weak and inaudible heart sound and bloat are noticed. In sheep and goat, similar symptoms with sternal recumbency occur commonly.

Diagnosis: The disease is diagnosed with history of parturition, clinical symptoms and by seeing the absence of calcium in urine by Sulkowitch test. In the blood samples, levels of calcium and phosphorus are decreased while activities of AST and CPK enzymes are increased. High PCV, eosinopenia, neutrophilia and lymphopenia are also noticed.

Hypocalcaemia is differentiated from hypomagnesemia which is associated with excitement, loud heart rate and muscle tremors. Ephemeral fever is characterized by high rise in body temperature, watery nasal discharge, and has seasonal occurrence. Ketosis reveals ketotic smell from urine and milk, muscle tremors, and tetany. Coliform mastitis has excessive leukopenia and involvement of udder. Fat cow syndrome is associated with apathy, scanty soft faeces, ketonuria and involvement of liver. Downer's cows may have slightly elevated body temperature, audible heart rate, alertness and usually normal feeding, urination, defaecation and rumination.

Treatment: T he anima ls respond quickly with calcium therap y. Calcium borogluconate 25% solution is administered @ 400-800 ml in large animals and 40-60 ml in sheep or goat by intravenous route or subcutaneously. In affected animals, it is good to give half of the dose intravenously and remaining by subcutaneous route. The diet should be provided with proper calcium and phosphorus ratio of 2.3:1. Similarly, the sodium and potassium contents should be low while that of sulphur and chloride should be comparatively high as it helps in maintaining anion cation balance and reduces occurrence of disease. The cases which relapse after calcium therapy should be given dextrose, phosphorus and magnesium. A dose of 500 ml dextrose of 40% solution, 200 ml of 15% sodium acid phosphate and 250-350 ml of 15% magnesium sulphate should be used. Administration of vitamin D and its metabolites, or analogs are of value in preventing the disease.


Related Discussions:- Hypocalcaemia

Phylum, description of first five phylum

description of first five phylum

Animal nutrition, briefly explain the following feeding mechanisms in holoz...

briefly explain the following feeding mechanisms in holozoic animals a) filter feeding b) fluid feeding c)deposit feeding

Are protozoans presenting pulsatile, Q. Are protozoans presenting pulsatile...

Q. Are protozoans presenting pulsatile or contractile vacuoles easily found in fresh or in salt water? Fresh water is the less concentrated of solutes than sea water and it fre

Weaning the infant from the incubator, Weaning the Infant from the Incuba...

Weaning the Infant from the Incubator When heater output reading is minimal or nil it suggest that infant is capable of generating enough metabolic heat to keep himself war

Whether the drug-susceptible or drug-resistant phenotype, True or false? It...

True or false? It would be difficult to assess whether the drug-susceptible or drug-resistant phenotype in a population of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was more fit in an environment

What is resective therapy, Resective therapy Is used to reduce pockets,...

Resective therapy Is used to reduce pockets, correct negative osseous architecture and rough implant surfaces and increase the area of keratinized gingival if needed. Apical

What is the gel electrophoresis, Which of the following is a false stateme...

Which of the following is a false statement regarding gel electrophoresis? A. An electric current is used in order move DNA fragments by a semi-porous gel. B. Fragments of n

Intravenous drug abusers, The risk for IE among IV drug abusers, 2 to 5 per...

The risk for IE among IV drug abusers, 2 to 5 per cent per patient- year, is estimated to be several fold greater than that of patients with rheumatic heart disease or prosthetic v

Describe RNA Structure, The basic parts of RNA are the same than for DNA wi...

The basic parts of RNA are the same than for DNA with two major differences. The pyrimidyne base uracil exchange thymine and ribose replace deoxyribose see the sugar, pyrimidines a

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd