1 alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3 plus 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 reduces parturient paresis in dairy cows fed high dietary calcium
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Dean W. Hodnett; N.A. Jorgensen; Hector F. DeLuca
- Source
- Journal of dairy science. 75(2)
- Subject
- medicine.medical_specialty
Silage
chemistry.chemical_element
Parathyroid hormone
Cattle Diseases
Calcium
Injections, Intramuscular
Calcitriol
Pregnancy
Internal medicine
Parturient Paresis
Genetics
medicine
Vitamin D and neurology
Animals
Calcifediol
Labor, Obstetric
Hydroxycholecalciferols
Milk fever
Phosphorus
medicine.disease
Calcium, Dietary
Drug Combinations
Endocrinology
chemistry
Intestinal Absorption
Hay
Animal Science and Zoology
Cattle
Female
Intramuscular injection
Food Science
- Language
- ISSN
- 0022-0302
The effectiveness of a combination of 1 alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 for reducing incidence of parturient paresis in aged Holstein cows was tested. Intramuscular injection of .5 mg of 1 alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3 plus 4 mg of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 increased plasma 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D concentrations through parturition. Treatment with 1 alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3 plus 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 raised prepartum serum Ca approximately 2 mg/dl and prepartum serum P approximately 4 to 5 mg/dl higher than untreated controls. Both treated and control cows had approximately a 2-mg/dl decrease in serum Ca following parturition. The prepartum diet of alfalfa silage and hay was supplemented with a grain mixture supplying 100 g of Ca/d from ground limestone. Under these dietary conditions, incidence of parturient paresis was reduced from 33 to 8%. In a separate experiment, treatment with 1 alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3 plus 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 did not reduce incidence of parturient paresis when cows consumed mixed diets of different feed-stuff composition. Further experiments are required to determine specifically the factor or factors responsible for the difference in response to active vitamin D compound administration between the two experiments. Prepartum dietary Ca intake may be one such factor.