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Prevention of Parturient Hypocalcemia: Effect of a Single Oral Dose of 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D₃

Department of Animal Nutrition, Agricultural University of Norway, 1432 Ås-NLH, Norway

ABSTRACT

Norwegian Red cows 4 yr or older were fed a high calcium diet the last 2 to 4 wk before calving to increase the severity of hypocalcemia at parturition. An oral dose of pellets of fat-encapsulated 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ (500 µg) was given to 15 cows and placebo pellets to 12 cows. Treated cows were grouped according to time of treatment, 1) 4 cows treated within 24 h of calving, 2) 8 cows treated 1 to 3 days before, and 3)3 cows treated 4 to 5 days before calving. Minerals in blood plasma were measured from day —10 to day +10 (calving: day 0). Average calcium concentration of cows treated 1 to 3 days before calving decreased from 2.6 to 2.4 and of placebo treated from 2.5 to 1.8 mmol/liter from day —1 to day +1. Treatment with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 at other times did not protect against hypocalcemia. Average concentrations of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D in plasma were 200 to 250 pg/ml on days —2 and —1 in 5 cows treated on days —3 and —2. Similar concentrations were reached by placebo cows 1 to 2 days after parturition.

A single oral dose of 500 µg 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ given 1 to 3 days before parturition can prevent hypocalcemia at calving. Difficulties in judging actual time for parturition led to optimal treatment of only 8 of 15 cows.