title: [Animal nutrition in veterinary medicine--an actual case: high incidence of constipation in calf rearing].
abstract: A high frequency of constipation was observed in calves with an average body weight of 150 kg. Eleven out of 200 animals died, at necropsy intestinal obstruction was identified due to agglomeration of stone like particles, identified as shell fragments of palm kernels. The calves were fed 3 kg maize silage, 1.5 kg of a commercial mixed feed, 0.5 kg soya meal, and 50 g of a mineral supplement. Hay was offered ad libitum, all animals had free access to drinking water. The composition of the mixed diet was estimated by microscopy and was completely different from the label as provided by the manufacturer. A palm kernel product with high amounts of stone shells was identified in a concentration of 25% of the mixed feed, confirming the findings in the necropsied calves. The pathogenesis of the obstruction seemed to be influenced by a concurrent infectious disease, which might have had negative effects on the gastro-intestinal motility.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Tierernährung, Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zentek
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stampa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kamphues
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003248:Constipation / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015994:Incidence; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014881:Water Supply