Does anyone have suggestions for correcting low phosphorus level in a dry dairy cow.?

Question

Three days ago one of our dry dairy cows, (due to freshen in four weeks), went "down", vet treated her with calcium. No response, next day vet retreated with calcium and took a blood test. Blood test came back with a result of low phosphorus levels. Vet prescribed injections of phosphorus. After two treatments she stood up for a short while but seemed very weak and shakey. Exhausted after that. We've never had an experience like this before.

Answer 1

Phosphate deficiency often occurs where there is a lot of free limestone in the soil, leaving the soil pH high, and available phosphate low for all crops.

The  classic remedy for animals is to provide mineral supplement, either block or loose.

Cows delivering a lot of milk are most likely to hit the wall on phosphate late in the lactation, as bone phosphate is used up.

I have never seen this problem when the cows are on mineral supplement. but also, where the soil is phosphate rich and not high in pH, it rarely appears.

If one cow gets into problems, the whole milking herd is needing to be supplemented.

Cows typically drop off in milk production as their bones start to run short on phosphate.

Answer 2

how old is the cow and does she have access to a free choice mineral block.

Answer 3

I don't know a think about milk cows.  I've never owned a cow of any type, so I've never done a bit of research on them.  This however does not mean I'm not an experienced animal person.  

I've owned horses for over 30 years, and I've been raising goats since 1999.  I have over 100 goats, and 9 horses.

When I purchased my Friesian Sport Horse stud, I did a lot of research.  I also researched all the information the breeder of the stud was telling me.  I purchased him at just under one year of age.

Along with many things she was telling me to feed him, she highly recomended rice bran.  I did my research on all the feeds she told me to give him, and found her feed regiment to be highly scewed toward the phosphorous side, and not nearly enough calcium.

I didn't follow a single one of her recomendations.  My stud grew into a handsome, solid bone structure, well muscled, well proportioned horse of 17.2 hands tall.  His full brother, one year older, which the breeder kept bairly made 15 hands.  A hand is four inches.  That means my horse, full brother to the one she kept is a full 10 inches taller than hers.

I completely blame the high phosphorus, low calcium diet she feeds them.  Rice bran has a lot of phosphorus.

I've never researched it for dairy cattle, only horses (and goats).  Check with your Vetrinarian.  research your dairy cows other feeds as well, and make sure she is not getting a diet too high in calcium.  

Molasses also contains phosphorus.  I'm not a Vet, and I don't know a thing about the proper feeding of sick dairy cattle.  Please check with your Vet and see what they think about feeding either rice bran, or molasses.

~Garnet

Homesteading/Farming over 20 years