Abstract
Clinico-pathological findings on dairy cows with postpartum paraplegia were studied with some discussions related to onset of this disease. As the result increase of WBC, decrease of lymphocytes, elevation of serum CPK and GOT levels, and enhancement of blood sugar values were noted. About44% of the cows with postpartum astasia showed the serum vitamin E (VE)level below 1.5μg/ml, and about49% of them showed the serum Ca level below 6mg/dl. On the other hand this disease used to occur at a markedly high ratio on the animals with insufficient movements, imbalanced feeding during the dry period, and obesity. It was noted more frequently when the floor was slippy making it hard to stand up therefrom in the stall, or on the cows with high milk production, narrow pin bone width, and weak legs respectively in constitution. Upon application of the hock joint holder to those with this disease or onset of which is expected, a remarkable effect was obtained in treatments and prophylaxes. The lesion was localized principally in muscleg of the hind quarters, showing aseptic muscular degeneration, together with common histological findings such as strophy of muscle fiber and Zenker's degeneration. Based on these results it is considered that in the cows with this disease muscular degeneration has developed subclinically already at the prepartum stage, therefore, if it is feasible to keep the animals standing up physically even in a short time by means of the hock joint holder or else at the initial stage in the course of this lesion or before onset, a great effect can be expected on treatments and prophylaxes for this disease.
