Milk Fever.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 223, 8 October 1887, Page 3

Milk Fever.

The following advice is given by an English farming paper to a correspondent desiring information as to treatment of cows to prevent milk fever : — A cow's food should be reduced in quantity for a fortnight or three weeks before calving if there be any reason to fear an attack of this malady. If she be in a rich summer pasture she should be shifted to a worse quality one, or to one thab is grazed pretty bare with sheep or horses. In winter good hay should be given with a plentiful supply of roots, and artificial foods or other extras be withheld. Should the animal on such food as advised continue to do too well, she should have most of the hay — mixed with an equal quantity of straw chopped. To both the summer and winter cows there should be given one and a half pints of linseed oil every fourth day for tne last three weeks before calving.

Symptoms.— The time varies when this dreaded complaint makes its appearance from four hours till three day after calving. In the earliest symptoms the cow, if standing in her stall, will become restless, and a peculiar movement will be observed on her

hind quarters. First the weight is thrown on one hind leg, then on the other ; and if made to walk, both legs exhibit weakness and ungovernable acti&n. As the disease progresses, if the animal be walked any distance, through not having sufficient power in the hind legs, she drops, and rises again only with the greatest difficulty. Gradually greater weakness is apparent, the breathing is quicker, the cow falls again, and is unable to rise. The usual marks of illness begin to exhibit themselves. Rumination ceases," tho pulse is increased and full, the breathing more rapid, and tho stomach gets filled with gas from indigesbion. The brain now is soon affected, the head being thrown wildly about, until at last it is usually turned round to the side, and with difficulty withdrawn. The hind limbs are so completely paralyzed at this stage, that pricked with a pin they are ipsensible to pain. The eyes are dilated, have a vague expression, and do not contract under the effect of light. This latter feature in the disease should be carefully observed. The last symptoms rapidly follow. The head is either pressed to the side, or thrown back with the horns resting on the ground, and the eye shows no consciousness if the finger be pressed against the ball. The breathing becomos most difficult, the power of swallowing is gone, the pulse can scarcely be perceived, and death 3oon follows. Constipation is obstinate during the whole of the attack. The cause of this mysterious, complaint is supposed to be apoplexy. It seldom occurs in a cow before her second or third calf, and such as milk freely are more subject to attacks than are the bad milkers. Alderneys are particularly liable to this complaint. Ihe cow being in too good condition at the time of calving is a Fruitful cause of this disease. 1b is seldom that the complaint is met with on poor land, while on the rich pasturo fields of Leicestershire and Northamptonshire it is common. The post mortem examinations usually reveal a clot of blood on the brain.