WSU Extension Q&A: What is grass tetany and how can I prevent it?

Q. I’ve heard that grass tetany can be a problem for cows in the spring. What is grass tetany and how can I prevent it?

A. Grass tetany (sometimes called grass staggers) occurs in cattle with low blood magnesium (Mg). Magnesium is important in metabolic functions in the body. In the spring when grasses are lush and growing rapidly, low magnesium in the grass can occur. This is also true after nitrogen and potassium fertilization of pastures in the spring. A cow’s requirement for magnesium increases after calving due to the nutrient demand for lactation. Therefore, cows that are nursing young calves are at greatest risk. Symptoms include restlessness, nervousness, muscle spasms, staggering, convulsions, paddling of the front legs, and death. Your veterinarian can administer supplemental magnesium intravenously to treat the disease. Prevention is the most effective way of dealing with grass tetany. Providing high-risk animals with supplemental magnesium in a mineral mix is effective. Note that it is important to start the animals on the new mineral mix before conditions are conducive to grass tetany. Adding legumes to your pasture mixture and allowing grasses to attain a height of six inches before grazing can also reduce the risk of grass tetany.

Q. I just purchased an electric pressure cooker. Can I use this for canning?

A. No. The electric pressure cookers available in the marketplace are great for meal preparation, but are not suitable for canning any foods. They are especially risky for foods that would normally require a pressure canner for processing i.e. low acid foods such as vegetables, meat, fish and poultry. Some manufacturers provide canning instructions in the manufacturer’s directions. It’s important to understand that the USDA directions have not been developed for that type of appliance, and the canner being used does matter. Our recommendations were developed using stovetop pressure canners, able to hold four or more quart-size jars standing upright. It is not safe to assume processing times developed under one set of conditions will still be accurate under a completely different set of conditions. While we do not know if proper thermal process development work has been done to justify the canning advice that is distributed with these pressure multi-cooker appliances, we do know is that the USDA canning processes are not recommended for use in electric pressure multi-cookers at this time.

This story was originally published February 24, 2018 at 12:36 PM with the headline "WSU Extension Q&A: What is grass tetany and how can I prevent it?."