Cattle Medicine Q&A 08

This question was provided by Manson Publishing as part of the OVAL Project. See more Cattle questions

After a stormy autumn night you are called to attend a recumbent 10-year-old Simmental-cross-Friesian beef suckler cow that calved 36 hrs ago. The cow is at pasture with a group of predominantly summer-calving cows which is receiving no supplementary feeding other than barley straw in a ring feeder. The cow was found by the farmer to be in lateral recumbency and ‘thrashing wildly’. When you arrive the cow appears quiet but clinical examination precipitates seizure activity.

Question	Answer		Article
What conditions would you consider? (Most likely first.)	The most likely conditions to consider include: hypomagnesaemia hypocalcaemia lead poisoning bovine spongiform encephalopathy.		Link to Article
What treatment would you administer immediately?	While unlicensed for use in cattle, 6–8 mL of 20% pentobarbital solution injected intravenously controls seizure activity a great deal more effectively than either diazepam or xylazine. The cow is then haltered and 50 mL of 25% magnesium sulphate is added to a bottle of 400 mL of 40% calcium borogluconate solution and given by intravenous injection over 10 minutes. The remaining 350 mL of the bottle of 25% magnesium sulphate solution is given subcutaneously in two divided sites immediately behind the left shoulder. The cow was able to maintain sternal recumbency when pulled upright after all treatments had been administered and walked off to find its calf after a further 20 minutes.		Link to Article
What samples would you collect?	A serum sample for calcium and magnesium concentrations should be collected in case the cow does not respond to treatment.		Link to Article
What control measures could be adopted for the remainder of the herd?	The farmer was advised to start feeding 2 kg per head per day of highmagnesium concentrates immediately. Good-quality barley straw should also be available ad libitum.		Link to Article