Manipulating Dietary Anions and Cations for Prepartum
Dairy Cows to Reduce Incidence of Milk Fever 1
ABSTRACT
Twenty preparturient dairy cows were
in a 2-yr switchover design to test effects
of dietary ions on incidence of milk fever.
In yr 1, cows were blocked and assigned
randomly 45 days p r e p a r m m to one o f
two diets; one diet contained an excess of
anions, and the second diet contained an
excess of cations. In yr 2, cows were
changed to the opposite diet. Both diets
were equivalent for crude protein (11%),
calcium (.65%), phosphorus (.25%), and
energy on a dry basis but differed for
quantities of chlorine, sulfur, and sodium.
Both diets were chopped alfalfa hay, corn
silage, high moisture corn, and vitamin-
mineral mix. Diets were available ad libi-
tum as complete rations.
There were no differences in dry mat-
ter intake of the diets. Cows consuming
the anionic diet had no milk fever, b u t
cows consuming the canionic diet had
47.4% incidence. Samples of blood plas-
ma showed that cows consuming the ani-
onic diet maintained calcium and phos-
phorus through parturition, whereas cows
consuming the cationic diet decreased in
these minerals around calving. Hydroxy-
proline was higher for cows consuming
the anionic diet during the peripartal per-
iod compared to cows consuming the
cationic diet. Milk produced in the lac-
tation subsequent to prepartum treat-
ment was 6.8% less for cows offered the
cationic diet. When milk production of
paretic and nonparetic cows offered the
cationic diet was compared, milk was re-
duced 14% with milk fever.
Received October 12, 1983.
1This research was supported entirely by the Con-
sell des Recherches et Services Agricoles du Qu6bec,
Ministere de l'Agrieulture, des Pecheries et de l'Ali-
mentation.
1984 J Dairy Sei 67:2939--2948 2939
ELLIOT BLOCK
Department of Animal Science
Macdonald College of McGill Univer'sity
Ste-Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada H9X 1C0
INTRODUCTION
Research has elucidated various measures for
prevention of hypocalcemic parturient paresis
(milk fever). These measures include manipu-
lating amounts and ratios o f calcium (Ca) and
phosphorus (P) in the prepartum diet of cows
(4, 6, 7, 15, 16, 19, 25, 27, 30, 38), feeding
prepartum cows diets containing high or low
alkalinity (10, 13, 14), and oral or parenteral
administration o f vitamin D or its metabolites
at specific times prepartum (17, 18, 20, 21, 22,
23, 26, 31, 34, 35, 36).
Problems exist with implementation of the
various preventive measures. In some areas of
Quebec it is difficult to reduce amounts of Ca
or ratio of Ca to P fed to cows for several
reasons: inability to grow sufficient quantities
o f feeds, such as corn silage, for the entire herd;
suitability of land for legume crops, which are
high in Ca; and inability to add sufficient P
to lower the ratio of Ca to P due to palatability
when quantities of P are added to a ration.
Although treatment with vitamin D and its
metabolites is effective for preventing milk
fever, timing of treatment in relation to actual
calving date appears critical to efficacy of
treatment. Retreatments with vitamin D and its
metabolites are necessary if the calving date is
mispredicted; however, vitamin D toxicity has
been reported (28). Acidification of the diet is
efficacious in promoting bone mobilization in
rats (2, 3, 33); however, mineral acids can
present danger to the user.
A possibility exists to prevent milk fever by
increasing the quantity of acidogenic minerals
in prepartum diets in relation to the alkalogenic
minerals. Proposed was that alkali-alkalinity
(anion-cation balance) of diets fed to cows
prepartum could be important for determining
Ca availability (11, 14, 29). Milk fever was
precipitated in 9 of 14 calvings from five Nor-
wegian Red and White cows b y diets in the
prepartum period that contained acids or that
contained excess anionic minerals in relation to
cationic minerals (11). However, diets offered
2940
to these cows contained ingredients that are
atypical of North American dairy rations (i.e.,
beets, formic acid treated silage, herring meal).
Others (29) showed that excess anions in diets
for prepartum cows influence Ca absorption
only when these diets maintain a positive Ca
balance in the cow.
Use of various combinations of ions in diets
for poultry has affected ions in blood as well as
acid-base balance of blood (9, 24, 37). Ions
examined in most of the experiments were Na,
K, C1, S, Mg, and P with emphasis on Na and C1.
My objective was to ascertain if diets com-
monly fed in North America that are high in
ratio of Ca to P can be fed to prepartum cows
without precipitating milk fever if the diets
contain sufficient quantities of anions in
relation to cations. Because anions are con-
sidered acidogenic and cations alkalogenic, the
hypothesized mode of action is that an excess
of acid-forming elements at times of Ca stress
will increase concentrations in blood either via
increased intestinal absorption or bone mobili-
zation.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Twenty mature cows (12 Holstein and 8
Ayrshire) with at least three previous records of
milk production and at least one record of high
milk production (>7,500 kg) were in a 2-yr
switchover design to test if dietary anions and
cations influence incidence of hypocalcemic
parturient paresis (milk fever). Cows were
assigned to 10 blocks of two cows each. Block-
ing was according to expected date of calving,
breed, and milk production in the previous
lactation.
In the 1st yr of the trial, cows within each
block were assigned to one of two dietary
treatments for the prepartum period: a diet
containing an excess of cations relative to
anions (designated the cation diet), or a diet
containing an excess of anions relative to
cations (designated the anion diet). The cation
diet contained (dry basis) 39% chopped alfalfa
hay, 57% corn silage, 2.5% high moisture ear
corn, and 1.5% of mineral premix formulated
to provide an excess of Na and K relative
to C1 and S. The anion diet contained identical
quantities of chopped alfalfa and corn silage as
the cation diet plus (dry basis) 1.7% high
moisture ear corn, .23% CaC12, .86% AI2
Journal of Dairy Science Vol. 67, No. 12, 1984
BLOCK
(SO4)3, .74% MgSO4, and .5% of mineral
premix formulated to provide an excess of C1
and S relative to Na and K. Mineral premixes
were formulated to meet nutrient requirements
in the diets and to deliver excess cations or
anions. Ingredients in these premixes were
NaC1, COC12, MnSO4, ZnO, FeSO4, KI, CaCO3,
NaHCO3, NaCO3, CuSO4, ZnC12, Ca(IO3)2,
and CaCI. The anion-cation balance of the diets
was calculated and determined by using and
manipulating quantities of Na, K, C1, and S in
the rations. The equation for calculating anion-
cation balance was milliequivalents [(Na + K) --
(C1 + S)]. Diets were formulated to meet
requirements of dry pregnant cows (32) except
for Na, K, C1, S, Ca, and P; these minerals met
or exceeded requirements of dry pregnant cows
dependent upon the anion-cation balance of the
ration and maintenance of a ratio of Ca to P of
2.5 in both diets.
Cows assigned to each dietary treatment
received their respective rations beginning 45
days prepartum and continuing through par-
turition. Dietary components were mixed and
offered as a complete ration once daily at 1000
h. Animals were allowed ad libitum consump-
tion to assure feed refusals were 10% of the
original quantity of feed offered. Feed refusals
were obtained daily at 0900 h. After parturi-
tion cows entered the normal feeding and
management program at the Macdonald College
Farm Centre of McGill University. The ration
for cows in early lactation consisted of corn
silage, legume-grass haylage, alfalfa hay, grain
mix, and supplements containing (dry basis)
17% crude protein, 1.63 Mcal/kg NE L (net
energy for lactation), .9% Ca, .6% P, and .7%
NaHCO3.
In the 2nd yr of the trial the same cows and
diets were used; however, cows were offered
the dietary treatment opposite that offered in
yr 1.
Rations were sampled weekly, composited
into monthly samples, and frozen. Composite
samples were analyzed for dry matter (DM) in a
vacuum oven at 60°C for 24 h; the oven-dried
samples then were analyzed for Kjeldahl
nitrogen and Ca, P, Na, C1, and S by atomic
absorption spectrophotometry. Blood samples
were obtained from the jugular vein of each
cow on days 30 ± 7, 20 -+ 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1
prepartum, at parturition, and on days 1
 DIETARY ANIONS AND CATIONS AND MILK FEVER 2941

through 5 postpartum. Pre- and postpartum a calcium borogluconate solution; blood

blood samples were obtained at approximately
1100 h. Blood samples were divided and placed
into two test tubes. One test tube contained
potassium oxalate as the anticoagulant; this
sample was centrifuged with the plasma, then
withdrawn and frozen for subsequent analysis
of Ca, P, and Na by atomic absorption spec-
trophotometry and for hydroxyproline (39)
to indicate bone mobilization (5, 12). The
second test tube contained lithium heparin as
the anticoagulant; this sample was centrifuged
with the plasma, withdrawn, and then frozen
for subsequent analysis of K and C1 by atomic
absorption spectrophotometry.
Body weights were obtained weekly by
averages of weighings twice daily at 1100 and
1600 h on 2 consecutive days. Milk production
for the lactation subsequent to prepartum
dietary treatment was obtained from the
Qu6bec Dairy Herd Analysis Service (DHAS)
and reported as 4% fat-corrected milk (FCM)
for a 305-day lactation. Cows were diagnosed
with milk fever only if they exhibited two or
more of the typical symptoms of the disease
(i.e., typical recumbant position, lowered
temperature of extremities, inability to rise,
grinding of teeth, inappetance). Cows diagnosed
with milk fever were treated intravenously with
samples required were taken immediately
before treatment.
Statistical analyses were at the McGill
Computing Centre by the Statistical Analysis
System (1). Data were analyzed as a switchover
design with randomized blocking of animals. In
addition to the overall analysis, the 2 individual
yr of the trial were analyzed as two separate
random block experimental designs. Animals
offered the cation diet over both years were
grouped into paretic and nonparetic cows and
analyzed in a complete random design. Signifi-
cant differences were claimed at 5%.
R ESU LTS
Chemical analyses for the two diets are in
Table 1. Ratios of Ca to P of both diets were
able to cause milk fever and were similar at
2.63 and 2.89 for cation and anion diets.
Average intakes of Ca and P for the 2-yr trial
were 85.5 and 33.9 g/day for cows offered the
cation diet and 92.5 and 32.2 g/day for cows
offered the anion diet. Major differences
between diets were contents of Na, C1, and S
that were .53, .42, and .15% of the total DM
for the cation diet and .16, .57, and .56% of
the total DM for the anion diet. Average intakes
of Na, K, el, and S for the 2-yr trial were 71.9,

TABLE 1. Nutrient composition of diets (dry basis) containing an excess of cations and anions that were offered
to cows beginning 45 days prepartum, a

Nutrient Cation Anion

SE X, SE
Crude protein, % 11.1 .15 11.0 .17
Net energy lactation, Mcal/kgb 1.37 1.33
Calcium, % .63 .02 .69 .03
Phosphorus, % .25 .03 .24 .03
Sodium, % .53 .03 .16 .02
Potassium, % 1.22 .09 1.22 .06
Chlorine, % .42 .01 .57 .02
Sulfur, % .15 .01 .56 .01
Anion-cation balance per kg
dry matterc +33.05 -12.85

acomposition based on 24 monthly composites of each ration are reported as averages except net energy,
calcium-phosphorus ratio, and anion-cation balance.
bNet energy calculated from tabular data (32).
Ccalculated as miUiequivalents [(Na + K) - (CI + S)] from nutrient analysis assuming the molecular weights
of 22.9, 39.1, 35.45, and 32.07 for Na, K, el, and S, respectively.

Journal of Dairy Science Vol. 67, No. 12, 1984

2942 BLOCK

165.6, 57, and 20.4 g/day for cows offered the
cation diet and 21.5, 163.6, 76.5, and 75.1
g/day for cows offered the anion diet. Potas-
sium was constant in both diets at 1.22% of the
total DM. Anion-cation balances per kilogram
DM were calculated from mineral analyses
(Table 1) and were +33.05 and - 1 2 . 8 5 for
cation and anion diets.
Table 2 contains results o f the trial. The
average age of cows in the trial was 7.2 yr. One
cow died each year in the positive group; these
deaths were attributable to milk fever. There-
fore, in yr 2, the remaining nine cows per
treatment were used for analysis. Table 3 shows
results for each year (analyzed for each year as
randomized block design), overall results
(analyzed as a switchover design), and for cows
fed the cation ration analyzed for paretic vs.
nonparetic cows. Dietary treatments caused the
same results each year. Treatments had no
effect on DM intake in any of the analyses.
However, because diets had different anion-
cation balances (Table 1), averages of daily
anion-cation balance of cows between treat-
ments within each year and in the overall
analysis were different, i.e., highly positive for
cows offered the cationic diet and highly
negative for cows offered the anionic diet.
Incidence of milk fever for cows offered the
cation diet was 5 of 10 (50%) in yr 1, 4 of 9
(44.1%) in yr 2, and an overall incidence of
47.4% in the switchover analysis (Table 2).
Incidence of milk fever for cows offered the
anion diet was nil. Milk fever occurred only in
Holstein cows. Both diets had ratios of Ca to P
conducive to milk fever. Lactation records sub-
sequent to the prepartum dietary treatments
for yr i were lower (P<.05) for cows offered
the cation diet (high incidence of miIk fever)
than for cows offered the anion diet (no milk
fever) (Table 2). Although the trend was the
same f o r y r 2, the difference was not significant.
In the overall trial cows offered the cation diet
produced 6.8% less milk (P<.05) than cows

TABLE 2. Daily dry matter intake (DMI) as a percentage of body weight (% BW) and daily anion-cation balance
for the prepartum period, incidence of milk fever at parturition, and subsequent milk production (4% fat-
corrected) for cows offered diets prepartum with an excess of cations and anions.

Milk
DMI Anion-cation Incidence of production
No. cows Ration % BW balance a milk fever (%) (kg/305 days)

Year 1
10 Cation 1.87 +450.1 50 6585 b
10 Anion 1.78 --168.7 0 7203 c
SE .067 47.8

Year 2
9 Cation 1.83 +446.9 44.1 6735
9 Anion 1.85 --176.4 0 7075
SE .061 69.9

Summary -- Overall Trial Analysis

19 Cation 1.85 +448.6 47.4 6656 b
19 Anion 1.81 -172.3 0 7142 c
SE .073 52.9

Summary of Cation Group

10 Cation 1.92 +473.3 0 7128 b
9 Anion 1.77 +421.4 100 6132 c
SE .068 46.4

acalculated as (milliequivalents [(Na + K) -- (C1 + S)]) (daily DMI).

b'CMeans in the same column with different superscripts differ (P<.05).

Journal of Dairy Science Vol. 67, No. ! 2, 1984

 DIETARY ANIONS AND CATIONS AND MILK FEVER
offered the anion diet. When cows in the cation
group were separated and analyzed as paretic
vs. nonparetic, milk production was reduced
14% for paretic cows (P<.05).
Blood plasma was analyzed for Ca, P, Na, C1,
K, and hydroxyproline (OHPRO). Resuhs for
blood composition represent the combined data
for the entire trial for cows offered the cation
and anion diets.
Figure 1 shows the blood plasma analyses
for Ca, P, Na, C1, K, and OHPRO for cows fed
cation and anion diets. Table 3 shows similar
data only for cows offered the cation diet but
separated into paretic and nonparetic cows.
Plasma Ca and P concentrations (Figure 1) were
lower (P<.05) for cows offered the cation diet
at and around parturition. Cows offered the
cation diet that became paretic had a more
dramatic drop of plasma Ca and P at calving
(P<.05) than cows offered the cation diet that
were not paretic (Table 3). Plasma Na tended
toward greater concentration for cows offered
the cation diet (Figure 1) with significant
differences (P<.05) on day 4 prepartum. F o r
cows offered the cation diet (Table 3), those
that were paretic had higher Na in plasma
(P<.05) on days 4, 3, and 1 prepartum than
cows that were not paretic. Plasma C1 concen-
trations were higher (P<.01) for cows offered
the anion diet from day 20 prepartum through
parturition (Figure 1) compared with cows
offered the cation diet. Plasma C1 tended lower
for all cows offered the cation diet (Table 3)
regardless of disease status at parturition with
cows that were paretic having lower (P<.05)
plasma C1 on day 2 prepartum, at parturition,
and on day 1 postpartum than cows fed the
cation diet that were not paretic. Plasma K was
consistently lower (P<.05) for cows offered the
cation diet from d a y . 2 0 prepartum through,
and including, day 1 postpartum (Figure
1). Cows offered the cation diet that were
paretic tended to have lower plasma K with
lower (P<.05) plasma K on day 4 prepartum
compared with cows that were not paretic
(Table 3). Plasma OHPRO was consistently
lower (P<.05) for cows offered the cation diet
(Figure 1) from day 5 prepartum through day 2
postpartum compared with cows offered the
anion diet. Moreover, OHPRO increased for
cows fed the anion diet, whereas OHPRO of
cows fed the cation diet remained unchanged
until day 2 postpartum (Figure 1). Concentra-
2943
tion of OHPRO showed the same differences
between cows offered the cation diet that were
and were not paretic (Table 3) as cows offered
cation and anion diets (Figure 1); cows offered
the cation diet that were paretic had lower
(P<.05) OHPRO than cows fed the cation diet
that were not paretic from day 5 prepartum
through day 2 postpartum. Concentrations of
Ca, P, and OHPRO in nonparetic cows offered
the cation diet were higher, on specific days,
than paretic cows offered the cation diet (Table
3) and tended to be lower than for cows of-
fered the negative diet (Figures 1).
DISCUSSION
Results confuse current thoughts on the eti-
ology of milk fever in that prepartum cows
consuming diets with a high ratio of Ca to P did
not become paretic if the diet contained an
excess of anions relative to cations. These
results s u p p o r t (11, 13, 14). The reason cows
did not become, paretic was that Ca and P were
maintained during Ca stress. However, the
physiological response is unclear. This does not
suggest that the feeding of diets with a low
ratio of Ca to P or low quantities of Ca to
prepartum cows is undesirable; this method still
is considered the choice in most cases. How-
ever, in cases where feeding low ratios of Ca to
P is not possible, manipulating the anion-cation
balance of prepartum diets does have advantages
over treating cows with vitamin D or its me-
tabolites. Use of vitamin D products (17, 18,
20, 22, 26, 31, 34, 36)requires careful moni-
toring for dosage, timing of treatment relative
to parturition, number of retreatments, and
risks of toxicity (28). Once a formulation is
derived, anion-cation balance for preventing
milk fever is accomplished simply b y mixing
the minerals with other dietary ingredients.
Although for m y trial the equation meq
[(Na + K) -- (C1 + S)] worked well, the cation
diet did not cause milk fever in all cases. In
another trial (11) the same equation showed
that diets with an anion-cation balance of - 2 5 5
prevented milk fever in most cases but allowed
milk fever to develop in one case; however,
some cows consuming diets with highly positive
anion-cation balances did not become paretic or
became only slightly paretic while other cows
consuming diets with the same anion-cation
balances became paretic.
Journal of Dairy Science Vol. 67, No. 12, 1984
 to
xo
4~

TABLE 3. Blood plasma c o m p o n e n t s for cows offered the cation diet that were diagnosed with milk fever (MF) versus healthy (H) cows f r o m day-5 prepartum to
~7 day-5 postpartum, a
4
Plasma Disease Days prepartum Days postpartum
component status 5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5
¢~
,¢
O
Calcium,
G',
.q m g / l O 0 ml MF 8.87 8.29 8.02 b 7.75 b 7.22 b 4.83 b 5.69 b 6.79 b 7.43 8.12 8.33
H 8.66 8.19 8.24 c 8.40 c 8.43 e 7.75 c 8.52 c 8.75 c 8.95 c 8.78 8.38
Z
9 SE .24 .29 .26 .14 .37 .23 .24 .20 .44 .25 ,32
Phosphorus
mg/lO0 ml MF 4.60 4.52 4.68 4.28 3.07 b 2.43 b 2.76 b 3.32 b 4.03 4.07 3.96
H 4.30 4.52 4.50 4.32 4.22 c 3.33 c 3.67 c 4.02 c 4.23 3.97 4.12
4~
SE .25 .21 .19 .14 .33 .18 .21 .25 .11 .19 .11
Sodium,
meq/liter MF 144.6 157.6 b 149.0 b 139.4 142.6 b 138.2 136.2 133.2 129.3 127.3 132.8
H 142.0 148.0 c 137.4 c 134.8 132.0 c 132.8 138.4 137.8 133.6 139.6 126.6 ~)
SE 33.2 17.1 12.9 30.4 18.4 20.7 25.4 24.6 28.7 36.1 31.2 C3
Chlorine,
meq/liter MF 103.8 104.8 103.6 103.6 b 102.6 lO0.Ob 103.2 b 107.2 108.0 109.5 106.5
H 104.8 105.4 105.0 106.0 c 104.6 105.4 c 109.2 c 112.0 112.4 109.0 111.2
SE .49 .71 1.17 1.36 .89 .80 1.98 .94 .93 1.49 1.75
Potassium,
meq/liter MF 3.83 3.56 b 3.83 4.20 4.22 4.06 3.92 3.74 4.26 3.85 3.57
H 3.97 4.17 c 3.89 4.26 4.35 4.10 4.04 4.19 3.77 3.68 4.30
SE .28 .134 .06 .26 .23 .26 .33 .21 .25 .20 .181
Hydroxyproline,
/~g/ml MF 1.90 b 1.82 b 1.84 b 1.84 b 1.78 b 1.64 b 1.66 b 1.82 b 2.25 2.48 2.95
H 2.22c 2.08 c 2.06 c 2.08 c 2.14 c 2.14 c 2.30 c 2.98 e 3.10 3.02 3.00
SE .04 .05 .04 .04 .03 .07 .09 .27 .15 .1 .06

an = Nine cows diagnosed paretic and 10 healthy cows.

b'CMeans in the same column within each blood c o m p o n e n t with different superscripts differ (P<.05).
 DIETARY ANIONS AND CATIONS AND MILK FEVER 2945

PHOSPHORUS
CALCIUM
.~ .~ .~S .n .m .Or .~.~ J0 .~S .0~~ .~0 .0~ .~ .11 .]2 .~S ,~ .0~ .~ .0P .0Z~ .Cq .~ .O8 .~

M
4, G

8"

3. M
L

[ 1/ i

PREPA~TUM PO~TPARTO~ PREPARTUM POSTPARTUM

POTASSIU8 SODIUM
1,~ .OZ .g .~b .~ .~ ,~ .~ ,~ .~ .47 .~ .~ 8.28 8.08 16.6 8.55~ 6.45 15.2 9.2 /0.35 ]2.7 12.3 14.3518.0515.6
I16" 160-

M 11~" M 158-
Q Q
/ /
1[ 108" IL 140"
T T
E E
R 104" R 130"

12:O I
PREPARTUM POSTPARTUM PREPARTUM POSTPARTUM

H~ROXYPROL
N
IE
.o6 .o, .c~ .o? .o~ .o~ ,oib .~ .~ .~? .o~ .o~ .os CHLORIDE

4~5"

M 4-
E
U 2. 5 ' Q
G
/
IL 3 . 5 -
M
L T
2:. E
R 3-

1 . [ I ,," I '1 2.5 I I/: t : : : I I

3o 5PREPARTUM
k½~ I;12 ½~;
POSTPARTUM PREPARTUM POSTPARTUM

Figure 1. Calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, chloride, and hydroxyproline in blood plasma of cows of-
fered the cation (D) and anion (o) diets prepartum on days 30, 20, and 5 through 1, at parturition, and on days
1 through 5 postpartum. Numbers at top of each graph are standard errors for the sampling date. a) Cows fed
cation and anion diets differ (P<.05). b) Cows fed cation and anion diets differ (P<.O1).

There is uncertainty of which ions to include C1), and C1/(Na + K) (37) have been used
and which equation to use in calculation of to describe effects of ions on eggshell forma-
anion-cation balance. Although (11) used meq tion, blood ionic constitutents, and acid-base
[(Na + K) - (El + S)], (29) examined daily balance in poultry.
intake of [(Na + K) -- (El + S)], [(Na + K) -- Suggestions have been made (11, 14, 29)
(C1 + S + P)], (C1 + S), (CL + S + P), and (Na + that diets containing acid forming ions cause
K) in relation to digestible Ca, and (14) ex- greater Ca absorption by cows via decreasing
amined meq [(Na + K) -- (C1 + S)]and meq intestinal pH. My trial indicates that blood of
[(Ca + Mg + K + Na) -- (P + S + C1)]. In (29) cows responds fo anion cation-balanced diets as
was suggested that the inclusion of P in the shown by the response of plasma OHPRO
calculation improves the relation between (Figure 1) by cows offered the anion diet and
dietary ions and Ca digestibility. A further lack of response by cows offered the cation
confusing point is that other equations have diet. It appears that the anion (acidogenic) diet
•been used with poultry. Ionic equations such as altowed for easier bone-mobilization during
dietary Na/C1 (24), (Na + K)/C1 (8), (Na + K - Ca-stress even though diets contained a high

Journal of Dairy Science Vol. 67, No. 12, 1984

2946
ratio of Ca to P. Therefore, in addition to
intestinal effects of a diet balanced for excess
anions, as shown by (14, 19), there must be a
systemic response by cows to this diet. This
systemic response may be as simple as a slight
decrease of blood pH and as complex as affect-
ing liver and kidney function, which subse-
quently affects vitamin D metabolism. Because
the kidney plays a major role in blood acid-base
balance and in regulating blood ionic composi-
tion, these suggested effects of dietary ions are
worth investigating.
The intestinal response of acidogenic diets in
increasing Ca absorption only occurs when Ca
balance is positive (29), precluding the use of
acidogenic diets to increase blood Ca when
cows are in early lactation or when the pre-
partum diet has low Ca or low ratio of Ca to P.
However, the reason for increased Ca absorp-
tion is unknown. The suggestion is that acid-
forming elements in the intestine allow for
greater Ca solubility and easier absorption (11,
13, 14, 29). If the passive absorptions of Ca is
increased by excess anions via reduction in
intestinal pH, then active absorption of Ca
should decrease through the parathyroid
hormone (PTH) and 1 hydroxylase systems. As
these systems become inactive, bone resorption
should decrease and plasma OHPRO should
remain low. In this study OHPRO increased in
the anion group as parturition approached
(Figure 1), indicating that bone was responsive.
In the cation group lower plasma Ca should
have stimulated the PTH and 1 hydroxylase
systems to increase intestinal absorption of Ca
and bone resorption; however, the bone was un-
responsive as shown by plasma OHPRO concen-
tration (Figure 1), and the gut was apparently
not ready to meet Ca demands of lactation.
Possible effects of the dietary A1 have not
been considered in this article or by (11). In my
trial cows fed anion diet were consuming 18.4 g
A1 per day as AI2(SOa)s. This is equivalent to
1358.8 ppm AI in diet. Research has shown
that 2000 ppm in rations for lambs (40) caused
feed refusal, decreased concentrations of Mg
and P in plasma, and no change of plasma Ca.
These researchers proposed that excess dietary
A1 reduced intestinal absorption of P. The
possibility exists that in my trial dietary A1
decreased P absorption, thus stimulating 1
hydroxylase system. However, this is unlikely
because feed intake (Table 2) and plasma P
Journal o f Dairy Science VoL 67, No. 12, 1984
BLOCK
(Figure 1) were not different between anion
and cation groups in the prepartum period.
Another possible explanation for m y results
is that anion diet turns off absorption of Ca
from the intestine and mimics a low Ca diet
even in the presence of high quantities of dietary
Ca. If this were the case, then bone would re-
spond through hormonaLly-mediated Ca homeo-
static mechanisms. Other mechanisms o f action
are possible, such as increased binding sites for
the active absorption o f Ca or an effect of the
ions on intestinal cells subsequently affecting
action of the hormone, 1,25-dihydroxychole-
calciferol. These possibilities as well as intes-
tinal pH have yet to be explored.
Blood plasma C1 responded in accordance
with dietary treatment; the higher dietary C1
elevated plasma C1; this also was shown in
poultry (8). The response of plasma Na and K
in cows is more obscure. Plasma Na tended to
be higher for cows consuming more Na but was
only significantly higher for 1 day of blood
sampling. Alternatively, dietary K was equiva-
lent in both diets, yet plasma K was depressed
for cows consuming the anion diet. These
results may be explained by an interaction
between K and Na, especially when the diet is
low in C1 as shown by (8).
Results show a 14% reduction of milk
produced for an entire lactation by paretic
cows (Table 2, summary of cation group).
From the switchover design, it appears that this
loss was not permanent between years. How-
ever, because milk fever is more common in
cows with previous occurrences of milk fever,
and if the cow's productive life is shortened by
the disease, then there is a significant loss of
milk for the lifetime of a cow that becomes
paretic.
As mentioned earlier, diets for prepartum
cows containing low ratios of Ca to P or low
quantities of Ca reduce the risk of milk fever
and should be used where possible. However, it
appears that the high Ca fed prepartum may
not be the direct cause of milk fever per se. The
positive Ca balance created by a diet with a
high ratio of Ca to P coupled with excesses in
Na and K intake may be the cause of milk
fever, whereas effects of Na and K are over-
ridden with a negative Ca balance created by a
diet with a lower ratio of Ca to P by the inter-
vention of the active absorption and homeo-
static mechanisms for Ca. For example, the
 DIETARY ANIONS AND CATIONS AND MILK FEVER
n u t r i e n t c o m p o s i t i o n o f alfalfa h a y ( 3 2 ) s h o w s
a high Ca c o n t e n t . T h i s s h o u l d cause m i l k fever
in cows fed alfalfa p r e p a r t u m . H o w e v e r , alfalfa
has small a m o u n t s o f C1 a n d large a m o u n t s o f K
a n d Na; c o u p l i n g this w i t h t h e positive Ca
b a l a n c e c r e a t e d b y feeding alfalfa leads to
o c c u r r e n c e o f m i l k fever. It a p p e a r s t h a t t h e
b e s t m e t h o d s for r e d u c i n g i n c i d e n c e o f m i l k
fever are t o feed l o w Ca diets p r e p a r t u m (4, 6,
7, 27, 30) o r t o feed d i e t s t h a t are acid or
acidogenic.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
T h e a u t h o r t h a n k s G. B e a u l i e u a n d W.
C h a b o t o f t h e M a c d o n a l d College F a r m C e n t r e
for t h e care a n d m a n a g e m e n t o f t h e animals, D.
M a r t i n f o r f e e d i n g a n d s a m p l i n g animals, B.
J a c k s o n a n d W. M c D o n a l d f o r d a t a h a n d l i n g , B.
R. D o w n e y for a m b u l a t o r y a n d v e t e r i n a r y
services, J. F. Hayes f o r assisting w i t h statistical
analyses, a n d t h e C r a m p t o n N u t r i t i o n L a b o r a -
t o r y o f M a c d o n a l d College f o r c h e m i c a l anal:
yses.
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