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Nutritional Myopathy Due to Vitamin E Deficiency in Calves Fed Fish Protein Concentrate as the Sole Source of Protein¹

Departments of Pathology and Dairy Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48823

ABSTRACT

Thirty male Holstein calves 3 to 7 days of age were used in an initial experiment to compare four rations containing fish protein concentrate (FPC) as the sole source of protein with two rations containing dried skimmilk. Necropsy examination at the conclusion of 8 weeks revealed a greater incidence and severity of nutritional myopathy in FPC-fed calves than in milk-fed calves despite all diets were supplemented with 46 mg vitamin E per kilogram of dry ration.

A second experiment to determine optimal dietary tocopherol supplementation for calves on fish protein diets as compared to calves fed skimmilk diets used 19 8-day-old Holstein calves of both sexes. Clinical signs of illness such as weakness and diarrhea were common among calves fed a fish protein ration unsupplemented with vitamin E. Histopathologic examination of tissues from two calves from each of five groups revealed no myopathy in calves receiving fish protein or skimmilk rations containing 46 or 92 mg DL -tocopheryl acetate per kilogram of ration. Of those receiving no supplemental vitamin E, both calves on fish protein and one on skimmilk had myopathy.

Calves fed skimmilk gained more weight than fish protein-fed calves. Vitamin E supplementation improved the growth rate of calves fed fish protein, and calves on fish protein rations containing 92 mg DL -tocopheryl acetate per kilogram of dry matter gained more weight than calves on such rations containing only 46 mg per kilogram. Tocopheryl supplementation did not increase growth rates of skimmilk-fed calves. Plasma tocopherol of all calves declined during the experiment, but among calves receiving supplemental tocopheryl, declines were greater in fish protein-fed calves than in those fed skimmilk.

¹ Published with the approval of the Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station as Journal Article 5697.