Muscular Dystrophy in Dairy Cows following a Change in Housing Technology

Pavlata L. , A. Pechová, J . I l lek: Muscular Dystrophy in Dairy Cows Following a Change in Housing Technology. Acta Vet. Brno 2001, 70: 269–275. The objective of the study was to monitor the state of health (in particular damage to muscular tissues) in dairy cows suffering from a marked selenium deficiency. The investigations were conducted in a herd of Bohemian Red Pied cattle at the time of a transfer from a stanchion barn into loose boxes. Biochemical tests were done in nine clinically normal dairy cows before the transfer and thereafter on days 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28. Apart from selenium deficiency, only moderate increases of creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LD) were found before the transfer. Significant increases of CK, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and LD activities and potassium concentration in blood plasma found on day 1 were indicative of a muscular damage. The activities of CK and LD, the concentration of potassium, and less markedly the activity of AST decreased at the time of the subsequent sampling (day 3). Another significant increases in CK, LD, and AST activities, indicative of persisting muscular damage, were observed, along with a decrease in glutathione peroxidase activity in whole blood, on day 28. Clinical muscular dystrophy, manifested by general weakness, subcutaneous oedema, and downer syndrome, and accompanied by marked increases in CK, LD, and AST activities was observed in four dairy cows of the transferred group. The results are an evidence of muscular dystrophy in adult seleniumdeficient dairy cows in response to increased locomotor activity and stress associated with the change in housing conditions. Selenium, cattle, glutathione peroxidase, creatine kinase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase Muscular dystrophy associated with selenium and vitamin E deficiencies ranks with frequently occurring disorders described in many animal species. In his monograph, Shamberger (1983) described nutritional muscular dystrophy in chicks, rats, swine, mice, dogs, monkeys, sheep, goats, and calves and attached importance rather to selenium than to vitamin E supplementation in the prevention of this disease in sheep, goats, and calves. Nutritional muscular dystrophy in large farm animals is described as a disease occurring in America, Europe and Australia. In the Czech Republic muscular dystrophy in young cattle was described by Kursa (1969) and a massive outbreak also in young cattle was reported from Slovakia by Vrzgula (1972). It has been generally accepted that muscular dystrophy affects most frequently young, rapidly growing calves, lambs and foals (Blood and Radost i ts 1989; Maas et al. 1996). Enzootic muscular dystrophy due to selenium and vitamin E deficiencies in horses and white muscle disease in cattle, sheep, goats and camels have also been included into a review of musculoskeletal disorders published by Doherty and Mulvi l le (1992). Muscular dystrophy in cattle develops mostly in milk-fed calves, in young cattle at the beginning of the grazing period, and in late pregnant and postparturient cows. In addition to selenium and vitamin E deficiency, a significant role in the development of the disease is attributed to a high intake of unsaturated fatty acids increasing the concentration of hydroperoxides in the ACTA VET. BRNO 2001, 70: 269–275 Address for correspondence: MVDr. Leo‰ Pavlata Clinic of Diseases of Ruminants, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno Palackého 1-3, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic Phone: +420 5 4156 2407 Fax: +420 5 4924 8841 E-mail: [email protected] http://www.vfu.cz/acta-vet/actavet.htm