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Objective: To determine the concentrations of serum calcium, phosphorus and magnesium in cows with milk fever in Shahrekord district.
Design: Field study.
Animals: Seventy parturient dairy cattle.
Procedure: Blood samples were taken from jugular vein of 35 parturient dairy cattle, that suffer from milk fever (before treatment), and the levels of serum calcium, phosphorus and magnesium were measured and then compared with control values of 35 healthy parturient cattle in shahrekord.
Statistical analysis: Data's were studied statistically by Student's "t" test at the level of P<0.05 by SPSS program.
Results: Serum levels of calcium and phosphorus were moderately (7.68±0.53) and highly (2.51±1.44) lower respectively, and magnesium concentration (2.84±0.40) was significantly higher than control values. (P<0.05).
Clinical implications: It is concluded that, hypophosphatemia is a major cause of prolonged sternal recumbency and poor response to routine therapy for milk fever in this area. J. Fac. Vet. Med Univ. Tehran. 57, 4: 69-71, 2002.