Lactation Tetany:

Syn: Grass Tetany, Hypomagnesemic Tetany, Grass Staggers, Wheat Pasture Poisoning

• Highly fatal disease of all classes of ruminant and reaches highest incidence in lactating cows.
• It is characterized by hypomagnesemia, hypocalcemia, muscular spasm, convulsion and death.

Epidemiology:

• Species: cattle, buffalo, ewes and does are affected.
• Calves affected at 2-4 months of age
• 4-7 years’ age group is affected.
• Mostly females are affected.
• Usually occurs in cow in first 2 months of lactation and 1-4 weeks after lambing in ewes
• High yielder cows are more prone to this disorder

Etiology:

• Dietary deficiency of magnesium
• Young green grasses are deficient in Mg and rich in K and N
• Soil deficient in Mg- sandy soils are usually deficient in Mg
• Heavy application of fertilizers like K,N also reduces Mg availability.
• Diarrhea may lead to loss of Mg and decreased absorption of Mg
• Mg absorption from rumen are low when potassium and nitrogen intakes are high.
• Starvation for 24-48 hour
• Increased demand of Mg for growth of fetus.