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Effects of Adding Two Forms of Supplemental Zinc to a Practical Diet on Skin Regeneration in Holstein Heifers and Evaluation of a Procedure for Determining Rate of Wound Healing¹

Dairy Science Department and School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens

ABSTRACT

A procedure for measuring wound healing in terms of skin regeneration following removal of biopsy sections was evaluated. The effects of adding supplemental zinc oxide and zinc sulfate to a practical diet also were studied. Eighteen Holstein heifers, averaging 5.7 months, were fed limited concentrates and Coastal Bermudagrass hay ad libitum with two-thirds of the dry matter coming from hay. On a dry basis zinc contents of the total diets were: a) control, 30 ppm; b) zinc oxide, 400 ppm; and c) zinc sulfate, 384 ppm. Weight gains, serum alkaline phosphatase, and rate of skin regeneration were not affected appreciably by the dietary treatments during the 6-wk treatment period. Calves fed the zinc supplements had somewhat higher whole blood zinc levels. The procedure for measuring rate of wound healing consisted of surgically removing diamond-shaped pieces of skin from the gluteal regions and determining length of diagonals of the unhealed area at weekly intervals. With the variance observed in this study, difference in skin regeneration rate of one to four days, from 1 to 6 wk following surgery would be sufficient to be statistically significant (P = 0.05). Two relatively untrained observers independently obtained estimates that were comparable.

¹ University of Georgia, College of Agriculture Experiment Stations, Journal Paper no. 515, College Station, Athens. Supported in part by PHS Research Grant no. AM-07367-NTN from the National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases.

² Pories, W. J., Hanzel, J. H., Hernquist, W. C, Arnoldi, L. B., Rob, C. G., and Strain, W. H. 1966. The Acceleration of Wound Healing with Zinc Sulfate. Unpublished results.