Hypomagnesemia, Biology

Assignment Help:

Hypomagnesemia

It is also known as grass staggers or lactation or grass tetany and results in clonic and tonic muscular spasms and convulsions.

Etiology: Magnesium is primarily present inside the cells and its concentration in blood or extracellular fluid is determined by the balance between magnesium intake, loss in faeces and milk, and its homeostasis by kidney. Magnesium is continually required by the body as there is no specific depot for magnesium storage. There are several factors which can cause hypomagnesaemia. The diarrhoea reduces absorption of magnesium from intestine. Temporary starvation or stress caused due to bad weather, transportation or excess movement may also result in development of hypomagnesaemia. The diets low in sodium cause sodium deficiency in saliva. Low sodium and high potassium in saliva reduces the uptake of magnesium and the disease develops. The disease is commonly seen in the dairy animals of second or third lactation within 2 months of calving.

Pathogenesis: Deficiency of magnesium affects the impulse transmission at the neuromuscular junctions. The release of acetyl choline and sensitivity of motor end plate are affected resulting in muscular irritability. Hypomagnesemia also results in low magnesium concentration in cerebrospinal fluid and thereby altering functioning of the central nervous system.

Clinical signs: The time of onset of hypomagnesemia in lactating period is important in developing the symptom. The disease occurs in acute, subacute or chronic forms. In acute form, animals stop eating and ruminating and become alert and uncomfortable. Twitching of muscles and ears, hyperesthesia, staggering gait, clonic convulsions for short duration and tetany of limbs are seen. During stage of convulsions, opisthotonus, nystagmus, champing of jaw, retraction of eyelids and excess salivation are observed. Body temperature and pulse and respiration rates are increased and these animals die due to respiratory failure. In subacute form of disease, onset is gradual and symptoms are almost same but are of mild in nature. Appetite and milk yield of animal are reduced and they show spasmodic urination, frequent defecation, muscle tremors and mild tetany. Such animals recover after proper treatment. In chronic form of the disease, animals show dullness, reduced appetite, gradual reduction in milk yield and unthriftiness. Lactating animals may reveal paresis and it resembles to hypocalcaemia but these animals do not respond to calcium therapy.

Diagnosis: The cases in recently calved dairy animals can be tentatively diagnosed by clinical sign and can be confirmed by measuring magnesium level in serum, urine or cerebrospinal fluid. Estimation of its level in CSF is more appropriate in detecting the disease. Affected animals also reveal low calcium.

It should be differentiated from other diseases associated with calving, acute form of surra, tetanus, acute lead poisoning, mad cow syndrome, rabies and nervous form of ketosis. In lead poisoning, mania and blindness are seen while in rabies ascending paralysis occur and tetany is absent whereas in nervous form of ketosis, tetany is absent and ketonuria occurs. Similarly in surra or tetanus, ketonuria is absent. The course of mad cow syndrome is quite prolonged.

Treatment: Usually calcium magnesium borogluconate containing 25% calcium borogluconate and 5% magnesium hypophosphite is given @500 ml intravenously followed by 200 ml given subcutaneously after 12 h. The cases can also be treated by giving 200-300 ml of 20% magnesium sulphate solution intravenously followed by 200-300 ml of 5% solution subcutaneously. Magnesium gluconate is also quite effective in its treatment and 200-400 ml of 15% solution can be given intravenously followed by same dose of 5% solution subcutaneously. As the animals suffer from convulsions, sedatives may be given to relieve the convulsions. Diets may be supplemented with magnesium carbonate, magnesium oxide or magnesium sulphate for prevention of the disease.


Related Discussions:- Hypomagnesemia

Aortic allograft -biological valves, Aortic Allograft (Homograft) :  ...

Aortic Allograft (Homograft) :  In the earlier years fresh antibiotic preserved aortic allografts were tried. As the shelf life is limited, availability of all sizes at all t

Polyembryony, Polyembryony Presence of more than one embryo in a seed...

Polyembryony Presence of more than one embryo in a seed is termed polyembryony. The phenomenon, first discovered in orange seeds by Leeuwenhoek (1719), attracted considerable

Difference between self pollination and cross pollination, What is the diff...

What is the difference between self pollination and cross pollination? Which of these two modes of pollination contributes more to the plant diversity? Self pollination happens

Methods including quantification of rna species, 1.   Northern blotting ...

1.   Northern blotting The quantity of rna species can be quantified by calculating the quantity of rna through northern blotting which provide size and sequence information

Work sheet, When the Balance Sheet column totals don't agree on the first a...

When the Balance Sheet column totals don't agree on the first attempt work backward through the process used in preparing the work sheet exclusively take the following steps until

Describe the method of molecular photo copying, Question 1: "Plant tiss...

Question 1: "Plant tissue culture now has direct commercial applications" Explain. Describe plant tissue culture Illustrate importance of plant tissue culture Sho

Define needs of fluid in postoperative nutritional care, Define Requirement...

Define Requirements of Fluid in Postoperative Nutritional Care Extensive fluid losses may occur through vomiting, haemorrhage, diesis, excudate, fever and sweating after a surg

Describe the relation between nutritional and infections, Nutritional and ...

Nutritional and Infections The interaction between nutrition and  infection  is  synergistic -  that is  nutritional deficiency lowers resistance  to infection and infection ag

Heart and lungs, what are the main functions of lungs and heart

what are the main functions of lungs and heart

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