The toxic effect of massive doses of calciferol on dairy cows

Abstract

Extract Evidence that feeding massive doses, of calciferol prior to calving may be a useful method of preventing milk fever was obtained by Hibbs and co-workers (1950, 1951) at Ohio State University. The treatment causes a rise in serum calcium and if dosing is suitably timed the post-partum fall in serum calcium may be countered, thus making up for the presumed parathyroid failure which occurs at this lime and which is believed by many to be the underlying cause of milk fever.