The survey on epizootiyologia of osteomalacia on dairy cows around the Elazığ district

In this study, the epizootiyologia of osteomalacia was searched on the dairy cows in and around Elazığ province. This study was carried out on a total of 987 dairy cows provided from the following sources; Fırat University Research and Application Farm, suburbs, districts -towns of Sivrice, Çemişgezek and Pertek- and villages of Elazığ province, not only the animals taken to the Fırat University Veterinary Faculty Animal Hospital but also the ones which were collected by going their own districts as well in addition, the ones trought Elazığ combined meat company and slaughterhouse (ELET). The study was conducted between April 1997 - July 1999 on 987 dairy cows of 5 years of ages and over. These cows were divided into indoor (kept always in closed shelters) and outdoor (grazed in pasture) groups. According to feeding, 5 1.2 % of the village - clinic group animals was always fed indoor and the remaining % 48.8 outdoor. According to the sheltering condition, 24.8 % of village - clinic group animals was fed with commercial ration and the remaining % 75.2 tradition foradges. After all experimental group animals were clinically inspected, their blood samples were collected to be analized haematologically and biochemically. In haematologically examinations; haematocrit value with microhaematocrit method, haemoglobin level with Sahli method, erytrocyte and leukocyte counts with Thoma's microslides and formula leukocyte with the blood smears stained with Giemsa technique were analyzed. In biochemical analysis; inorganic phosphorus level according to acid filtration method, calcium and magnesium amounts with atomic absorption technique, alkaline phosphatase activity with a test kit labeled as DMA and totol protein amounts with Biuret technique were determined. Of the bone samples; radiographic examinations with Fuji - RX machine, histopatologic examinations with Hematoksilen - Eosin stain technique and ash analysis with A.O.A.C technique were performed.. During clinic inspection, while 57.4 % of the village-clinic and slaughterhouse group animals were poor in condition, had mostly dull hair coats and delayed seasonal hair fall, 64.3 % of traditionally fed animals indicated the sign of pica. Some animals exhibited a rigidity in abdominal walls, kyphos, difficulty in move, lameness, difficulties in standing up, joint pain during palpation and fertility problems. The average body temperatures were 38.47 ± 0.16, 38.53 ± 0.33 and 38.60 ± 0.33 °C in farm, village - clinic and slaughterhouse groups, respectively. The differences between farm and slaughterhouse groups were significant (p<0,01). Mean respiration rates/minute were 24.90 ± 3.76 in farm, 24.94 ± 4.02 in village - clinic and 27.30 ± 3.21 in slaughterhouse groups and differences between slaughterhouse and other groups were seen as significant (p<0,001). Average pulse frequency/minute was 77.10 + 4.19 in farm group, 77.89 + 7.78 in village - clinic group and 80.00 ± 6.14 in slaughterhouse group. There was an important (p<0,001) increase in the pulse rates of the slaughterhouse group cows. It is found the average of rumen moues, in farm group 8.37 ± 1.23, in village - clinic group 8.16 ± 1.42 and slaughterhouse group 8.10+1.12 amount / 5 minutes. Haematologically, formula leukocyt, erythrocyt and total leukocyt counts, hematocrite and haemoglobin amounts were analized. In the study, average erythrocyte counts were between 6.72 + 1.24 - 7.16 ± 0.93 106/mm3 in all groups and a significant difference was found to present between the farm and village - clinic groups. Although the seasonal variations of the farm and village - clinic groups were non-significant, there was a significant increase (p<0,01) in Winter season in the slaughterhouse group. According to feeding, erythrocyte counts were between 6.70 ± 1.21 - 6.90 ± 1.34 106/mm3 and an important difference was determined between groups (p<0,05). Mean haematocrit amount in the experimental group cases was % 31.45 ± 2.14 - 33.03 ± 4.37 and difference (p<0,05) between slaughterhouse and farm groups was determined to be significant. The average amounts of haemoglobin in all groups were 10.14 ± 1.55 - 10.45 ± 1.08 g/dl. Seasonal haemoglobin amount was 9.78 ± 1.28 - 1 1.02 ± 1.00 in farm group, 9.88 ± 1.50 - 10.51 + 1.68 in village - clinic group and 10.18 ± 1.59 - 10.47 + 1.47 g/dl in slaughterhouse group. It was found to be significantly different (p<0,05) in spring as compared with Winter and Summer in the village - clinic group. Total leukocyte counts in the animals used in this survey were determined as 6.97 ± 1.28 - 7.23 + 2.19 103/mm3 and the different was non-significant when seasonal variations, feeding habits and sheltering conditions were compared. The mean numbers of formula leukocyte in animals used in this study were 4.59 ± 3.84 - 4.90 ± 3.44 for eosinophils, 35.58 ± 8.36 - 37.20 ± 7.53 for neutrophiles, 4.73 ± 2.88 - 4.92 ± 2.85 for monocytes, 0.07 ± 0.26 - 0.20 ± 0.44 for basophiles and 52.90 ± 6.81 - 54.85 ± 8.40 for lymphocytes. Basophiles rates were detected to be significantly different (p<0,05) in the farm and village - clinic groups. When the seasonal variations of village - clinic group were considered, neutrophile rates were found to vary significantly from Autumn (33.29 ± 9.20) to Winter (36.96 ± 7.64) (p<0,05) and lymphocyte rate from Autumn (57.20 ± 9.32) to Winter (53.31 ± 7.64) (p<0,01). In slaughterhouse group, there were significant differences between Spring (0.06 ± 0.24) and Summer (0.21 ± 0.45) seasons for basophiles, between Spring and, Summer and Winter (35.24 ± 8.25 - 38.11 + 7.51) (p<0,05) seasons for neutrophiles, between Spring and Summer and Autumn (52.03 ± 8.43 - 55.70 ± 8.48) (p<0,01) seasons for lymphocytes and between Winter-Spring and Summer-Autumn (3.58 ± 3.59 - 5.35 ± 3.76) seasons for eosinophiles. In biochemical analysis, alkaline phosphatase, inorganic phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and total protein were measured. The average value of alkaline phosphatase activities in the cases used in this study was 17.87 ± 5.14 - 21.95 ± 11.16 İÜ/L. Seasonal variations of mean alkaline phosphatase activities were significantly different (p<0,01) between all seasons apart from Winter and Spring seasons (15.30 ± 4.21 - 22.60 + 3.89 İÜ/L) of the farm group, Winter season of the village - clinic group (18.15 ± 9.55 - 23.50 ± 10.39 İÜ/L) Autumn and others seasons (17.34 ± 8.50 - 24.38 ± 12.61 İÜ/L) of the slaughterhouse group. According to feeding, alkaline phosphatase activities were between (21.02 + 9.94 - 22.75 ± 12.05 İÜ/L) and non-significant differences was determined between groups. The difference (p<0,05) between alkaline phosphatase activities (17.87 ± 5.14 - 22.24 ± 11.46 İÜ/L) of farm and traditional groups was found as significant according to the sheltering condition. With regard to inorganic phosphorus levels, there was a highly significant difference (p<0,001) between farm and experiment groups (4.70 + 1.37 - 5.73 ± 0.63 mg/dl). During this study, this amount was found to be below 2 mg/dl in 5, 3 mg/dl in 67 cows and 4 mg/dl in 204 cows. Seasonal inorganic phosphorus levels were 5.31 ± 0.72 - 6.09 ± 0.49, 4.52 ± 1.23 - 4.93 ± 1.52 and 4.48 ± 1.18 - 5.17 ± 1.35 mg/dl respectively in the farm, village - clinic and slaughterhouse groups. It was found that Autumn and Spring seasons of farm group differed from Winter, Winter season of village - clinic group from Autumn (p<0,05) and Winter and Summer seasons of slaughterhouse group from other seasons (p<0,001). When feeding conditions was evaluated, mean inorganic phosphorus levels were determined to be 4.56 ± 1.33 - 5.01 ± 1.34 mg/dl and difference (p<0,001) was seen as significant between groups. According to the sheltering condition, average amounts of inorganic phosphorus determined during the study were 4.64 ± 1.36 - 5.73 ± 0.63 mg/dl. There were significant differences (p<0,001) between farm, farm and traditional groups. Mean calcium levels of cows used here, were 8.65 ± 1.07 - 9.01 ± 0.78 mg/dl. Differences between the farm and slaughterhouse groups were significant (p<0,01). In the study, this level was detected to be less than 7 mg/dl in 36 cows and than 8 mg/dl in 150 cows of the experiment group. Average seasonal amounts of calcium were found to be 8.60 ± 0.70 - 9.56 ± 0.76 in the farm group, 8.57 ± 0.97 - 9.24 ± 1.10 in the village - clinic group and 8.53 ± 0.79 - 8.98 ± 1.28 mg/dl in the slaughterhouse group. It was seen that the calcium value of Summer was different (p<0,05) from that of Autumn and Winter in the farm group, Spring and Winter from other (p<0,001) seasons in the village - clinic group and also Summer from other seasons (p<0,01) in the slaughterhouse group. There were no significant differences between the groups with regard to the variations of feeding and sheltering. In this study, average magnesium levels were 2.17 + 0.48 - 2.63 ± 0.43 mg/dl. Differences between farm and experiment groups were significant (p< 0,001). Magnesium level was determined to be less than 1.5 mg/dl in 24 cows of the village - clinic and slaughterhouse groups. Mean seasonal magnesium amounts were 2.08 + 0.47 - 2.30 ± 0.51 in the village - clinic group and 2.13 ± 0.40 - 2.31 ± 0.46 mg/dl in the slaughterhouse group. In village - clinic group, Autumn levels were determined to differ from Spring and Summer and in slaughterhouse group Autumn amounts varied form Winter and Summer (p<0,05). According to feeding condition, the magnesium amounts were found as 2.12 + 0.46 - 2.29 + 0.50 mg/dl and difference between groups were highly important. With respect to sheltering situation, magnesium values were 2.16 ± 0.46 - 2.63 ± 0.43 mg/dl. There were significant differences (p<0,001) between farm and experiment groups. The average values of total protein were recorded as 6.20 ± 0.78 - 6.25 ± 0.71 g/dl in all experiment groups. This amount reduced below 5.7 mg/dl in 77 cows of the village - clinic and slaughterhouse groups. Average seasonal levels of total protein were 6.23 ± 0.61 - 6.28 ± 0.80 in the farm group, 6.08 ± 0.81 - 6.47 ± 0.88 in the village - clinic group and 5.90 ± 0.74 - 6.44 ± 0.85 g/dl in the slaughterhouse group. It was found that in the village - clinic group, Summer values differed significantly from other seasons (p<0,01) while in the slaughterhouse group, Spring values were different from other seasons and Summer values from Autumn (p<0,001). According to feeding condition, the average values of total protein were found as 6.14 ± 0.79 - 6.30 ± 0.86 g/dl and difference between groups were important (p<0,05). Radiographic, histopathologic and crude ash analyses were done in bone samples. Non-significant findings were recorded during radiographic and histopathologic examinations of these samples. Average crude ash amounts of the bone samples were 55.10 + 1.34 - 58.09 ± 2.52. The values determined in the first and second groups, differed (p<0,05) from those of the third one. In conclusion, even though the alkaline phosphatase levels of the dairy cows of both village - clinic and slaughterhouse groups appeared to be non-significant, the levels of inorganic phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and total protein were83 determined to be lower than their normal limits respectively in 276, 186, 24 and 77 cows.