"Less Calcium – Fewer Oral Doses" A New Approach to Milk Fever Prevention

Opinion of the Scientific Panel on additives and products or substances used in animal feed (FEEDAP) on the safety of feedingstuffs with high calcium content for the reduction of risk of milk fever in dairy cows

“…The authors conclude that it is unlikely that oral Ca treatment could successfully prevent all milk fever cases; however, oral Ca treatment may be very effective in treating mild cases of hypocalcemia and in preventing relapses. Agger (2003) noticed that in cows treated with 50 g of Ca in form of CaCl2 one day before and two doses of 25 g Ca (Ca propionate) within one day after parturition, milk fever appearance was reduced from 44% (control group) to 19.4 % in animals suffering from the sub-clinical form of disease, and from 21.9 to 3.1 % in cows showing the clinical form. Thilsing-Hansen et al (2002) evaluated results of 13 studies on Ca supplementation around the parturition period.…”