The use of zeolite for the reduction of risk of milk fever in dairy cows

Milk fever caused by the sudden and large demand of calcium from blood due to the onset of lactation. To prevent decrease in blood calcium, the cow must replace calcium lost to milk by increasing the absorption of dietary calcium and by mobilizing calcium from the bone. Milk fever, more frequent in older cows with high milk yields, is an economically important disease of dairy cows. If left untreated, about 60 to 70% of such cows die. According to the nutrition management, in the pregnancy period we should reduce the amount of calcium in the cow ration. New researches indicate that Low dietary calcium (<20 g day-1) and low Ca/P proportion in the last weeks (10 to 14 days) of pregnancy, can prevent this disease. As you know one of the most important characteristics of zeolites is binding and cationic exchange. Therefore zeolite by binding the calcium of ration can reduce the availability of it and is efficien in prevention of milk fever in dairy cows.

Keywords:

zeolite , diary cow , milk fever