Levels of selected minerals, nitric oxide, and vitamins in aborted Sakis sheep raised under semitropical conditions

The serum levels of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, zinc and iron and of nitric oxide, retinol, and β-carotene were determined in Sakiz ewes that had experienced an abortion and in healthy controls. Ten healthy and 25 aborted Sakiz sheep were selected from Afyon zone in western Turkey. Their ages ranged between 2 and 4 years weighing between 40 and 60 kg at the time of experiment. All of the abortions occurred in October. The concentrations of retinol, β-carotene, phosphorus, and zinc were significantly lower and those of calcium and nitric oxide were increased in aborted ewes relative to healthy controls. The serum levels of iron, copper, and magnesium were not significantly different among the two groups. In conclusion, abortion is an important problem in commercially important species of ruminants in many regions in the tropics including of western Turkey. Deficiencies of retinol, β-carotene, phosphorus and zinc, and the increase of calcium and nitric oxide concentration may play an important role in the etiology of abortion in ewes. Prophylactic measures such as vitamin and mineral supplementation may be of help to prevent or reduce the incidence of abortion in sheep

Circulating mineral element concentrations in Sakiz crossbred lambs with pica disorder

The aims of this study were to determine the serum calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, cupper, zinc and iron concentrations in lambs with pica disorder, and to evaluate the efficiency of mineral preparation as treatment. The study was performed on 25 Sakiz crossbred lambs, 1-2 months old, whose 15 lambs exhibiting clinical signs for pica (soil eating, surface licking, wool-eating, weight loss, development retardation and a strong desire to eat non-food objects) and 10 were apparently healthy. Blood samples were taken for measuring serum concentrations of minerals and trace elements 5 days before and after treatment with a vitamin-mineral combination (Kalmina (R) VIL-SAN, 0.3 ml/kg, IV). Whereas serum Ca, Mg, P, Cu and Zn concentrations did not significantly differ between affected and healthy lambs, it was observed a marked decrease of iron concentration (P < 0.05) in all animals with pica. After Kalmina (R) injection, clinical signs of pica totally disappeared in 67% of diseased lambs (10/15) and a significant increase of P concentrations compared to initial values (P < 0.05) was observed associated with slight and not significant increases of serum Cu and Zn concentrations. The sideremia was also significantly enhanced (P < 0.05) but remained below control values, particularly in the 5 lambs which still presented an abnormal behaviour. Consequently, it was concluded that iron deficiency may play an important role for the aetiology of pica and the mineral element supplementation could be beneficial for the treatment of lambs with pica