Consequences of hazardous dietary calcium deficiency for fattening bulls.
BACKGROUND
Deficient mineral supplementation on a feedlot farm resulted in severe clinical manifestations in fattening bulls. Animals mistakenly received only 60-70% of the recommended calcium intake, while simultaneously receiving twice the amount of phosphorus recommended. Thus, the dietary Ca/P ratio was severely distorted. After approximately six months on such a diet, four fattening bulls were euthanized because of severe lameness and 15% of other animals on the farm were having clinical leg problems. Veterinary consultation revealed the mistake in mineral supplementation.


METHODS
Fattening bulls were divided into three groups depending on the time of their arrival to the farm. This enabled the effect of mineral imbalance at different growth phases to be examined. After slaughtering, the bones of both front and hind limbs were macroscopically evaluated.


RESULTS
Over 80% of the animals with a calcium-deficient diet had at least one severe osteoarthritic lesion. The economic impact of the calcium deficiency was statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Calcium deficiency with distorted Ca/P ratio yielded a severe outbreak of osteoarthritis in fattening bulls. Calcium deficiency caused a more serious lesions in age group 5-12 months than age group 12-18 months. Besides causing obvious economic losses osteoarthritis is also a welfare issue for feedlot animals.
Heinola
Teppo
T
Department of Basic Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, University of Helsinki, Finland. Teppo.Heinola@hk-ruokatalo.fi
Jukola
Elias
E
Näkki
Päivi
P
Sukura
Antti
A
D000367:Age Factors; D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis / Q000592:standards; D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000473:pathology; D002118:Calcium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000172:deficiency*; D002356:Cartilage / Q000473:pathology; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D007794:Lameness, Animal / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012540:Scapula / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology
D010758:Phosphorus; D002118:Calcium