Hypomagnesemic Tetany

in Ruminants

B.GOWRISHANKAR
BVN 05013
 Hypomagnesemic tetany
Synonyms
 Grass tetany
 Hypomagnesemia
 Grass staggers
 Lactation tetany
 Wheat pasture poisoning
 Winter tetany
 Green-oat poisoning
 Barley poisoning
Definition:
 A magnesium deficiency of the blood and
cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
Highly fatal, affecting only ruminant species.
Occurrence

 Sporadic with low overall incidence (0.5-1% adult

ruminant females/year)
 Outbreaks in some herds (up to 20% affected)
 Usually early lactation animals grazing lush
pastures in spring or fall
 May occur in milk fed calves or lambs 2-4 months of
age
(milk tetany)
 Magnesium Homeostasis
 Mg stores in the bovine:
– 70%: bones & teeth
– 30%: soft tissues
(intra & extra cellular fluids)
 Mg body stores are not very labile
 Milk production removes 0.15 g Mg/liter milk
 20 g/day Mg requirement must be supplied
almost entirely by diet
 Etiology
• Magnesium deficiency develops when Mg
output exceeds input:
1) High Mg output (early lactation)
2) Low Mg levels in diet (<0.2% of DM)
3) Inadequate Mg absorption from diet
(↓availability)
 1. Animal Risk Factors for High
Mg Output
• Usually first 0-8 weeks of lactation
• High producers
• Older animals
• Ewes suckling multiple lambs
• Body condition:
• Very thin or over conditioned cattle
2. Factors affecting Concentration
of Mg in Diet
• Cool season grasses (e.g. wheat) contain
less Mg than warm season grasses.
• Cool weather (spring/fall) reduces plant
tissue uptake of Mg
• High moisture content of rapidly growing
pasture means low Mg concentration
Cont..
Examples of crops with low Mg
concentration
– Early growth cereal crops (barley,
wheat, green-oat poisoning)
– Corn stalks/stubble (winter tetany)
3. Factors affecting Mg absorption
across Rumen Wall
• High dietary Potassium interferes with sodium-
linked active transport of Mg across rumen
wall
• Lush, high moisture pasture => rapid rate of
passage => less opportunity to absorb Mg
• Rumen pH:
> 6.5 decreases Mg solubility
(high forage diets)
< 6.5 increases solubility
(higher energy/grain diets)
Cont…
Age:
Older animals can only absorb Mg in rumen
and large intestine.
 Calves < 2 mos. old can also absorb in small
intestine.
 Very little Mg in milk
 Milk fed calf < 2 mos. old can still absorb more
available Mg
 Milk fed calf 2-4 mos. old less able to absorb =>
becomes Mg defic.
 Environmental/Management
Risk Factors
 Often animals already on low-Mg diet
 Clinical hypomagnesemic tetany
precipitated
 by environmental or management stress:
– lactation
– sudden weather changes
– transport
– feed deprivation, sudden feed changes
When Mg drain from lactation exceeds
dietary
intake/absorption:
– Mg is depleted from CSF and
extracellular fluids
– Loss of neuromuscular function results
 Effects of Low CSF & plasma Mg
concentrations :
Lower central & peripheral nervous membrane
potentials closer to threshold: => hyper excitable
/convulsions

Helps modulate Ca effect on acetylcholine release at

myoneuronal junction: => Excess release of
acetylcholine at myoneuronal junction in response to
depolarization
Cont..
• Mg-dependent ATPase essential for
relaxation phase of muscle contractions:
=> Sustained myofibril contractions
/tetany
• Reduces PTH secretion, affecting Ca
homeostasis: =>Hypomagnesemia
usually accompanied by hypocalcemia
 Early Clinical Signs
Rapid progression:
– Reduced feed intake, nervousness, ↓ milk
production
– Twitching of muscles in face, shoulder, flank
– Restless, irritable, +/- aggressive
– Isolation from herd
– Spastic, stiff, high-stepping gait
– Frequent urination, bellowing
– Hypersensitive to stimuli: sound (car horn)
can initiate tetany
 Advanced Clinical Signs
• Tetanic muscle spasms, staggering/falling

• Lateral recumbency:

• Clonic convulsions: head back, frothy salivation,

jaws champing, legs paddling

• Tachycardia (<150/min) with very loud heart

sounds

• Tachypnea, Pyrexia (excessive muscle activity)

Cont…
• Marked nystagmus, fluttering eyelids, +/-
prolapse third eyelid

• May get up after several minutes; repeat

convulsive episodes several times

• Death from respiratory failure during a

seizure (30-60 min. from onset)
Tetany in sheep
Frothy salivation
Aggressiveness
Clinical Pathology
• Hypomagnesemia

– Plasma Mg < 1.2 mg/dl

– CSF Mg < 1.4 mg/dl
– Urine Mg (< 2.5 mg/dl)
Clinical Pathology (con’t)

• Hypocalcemia: very common

• Hypophosphatemia: common
• Hyperkalemia
• ↑ AST, CPK (muscle damage)
Diagnosis
• Often diagnosed after 1 or 2 animals “found dead”
• History:
– sudden death of early lactation animal on
lush
growing pasture in spring/fall
– Soil disturbed due to convulsive episodes
– 2-4 mos. old calf/lamb fed whole milk
• Clinical signs
• Response to Mg & Ca treatment
• Low urine or blood Mg levels in 5-10 herdmates
Necropsy
• Diagnostic:
– Submit serum, CSF, urine & enucleated eye
(vitreous humor) for Mg levels
– Bone Ca:Mg ration > 100:1 in calves suffering Mg
deficiency
• Additional:
– Agonal pulmonary emphysema, diffuse echymotic
hemorrhages
– Aspiration of rumen contents
– Trauma/bruising of head & extremities
– +/- Calcium mineral deposition in heart, spleen,
arteries of lungs
 Differential Diagnoses
• Rabies: incoordination, behavior change, but no
tetany

• Nervous ketosis: No convulsions/tetany. Urine

ketones

• Milk fever: No increase pulse amplitude. Flaccid

paralysis

• Lead poisoning: Hx lead ingestion, blind

• Polioencephalomalacia: response to tx
Cont…
• Enterotoxemia (Clostridial toxins): may
find toxin in GIT
• Salt toxicity/water deprivation: history
• Tetanus
• Nervous coccidiosis
• Listeriosis
Treatment
• Immediate tx with Mg & Ca

• SAFETY FIRST: May require IM tranquilizer

(acepromazine)

• IV treatment

• Cattle: slow IV 500ml CBG with 5% Mg-

hypophosphate

• Sheep: slow IV 50-100ml

 Cont…
SQ treatment:
• Cattle: 200-300ml 20% CBG & Mg-sulfate solution

• Sheep: 50-100ml

• Slow response. Don’t disturb for 3-5 hours.

• Other: Mg sulfate enema (20g in warm water)

• Avoid relapse: oral Mg salt slurry (60g/day x 5-7days)

• Don’t give orally until regains swallow reflex

SQ treatment
Options for Prevention
• If occurs in ewe/cow, should supplement flock/herd immediately
• Options for supplementation:
1. Individual oral drenching

2. Remove from pasture &/or add supplemental Mg to grain

3. Supplement pasture with dry hay

4. Mg in free choice mineral

5. Mix Mg with molasses & spray on hay

6. Intraruminal Mg boluses (90 day release)

 Options for Prevention (con’t)
• Options to manipulate pasture Mg content:

1. Top dress with Mg-rich fertilizer

2. Spray/dust pasture q 2 weeks with 20-30kg

calcined magnesite/acre

3. Don’t put animals on fast growing pasture

until reaches mature height of 10”

4. Select grasses with known higher Mg uptake

Cont…
5. Avoid/reduce use of Potassium-rich fertilizers

6. Feed calves good hay & starter ration

• Reduce stressors:
– Adequate dietary energy
– Shelter
– Avoid stress, starvation, etc.
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