Stillbirth and perinatal weak calf syndrome
Logan, E.F.; Smyth, J.A.; Kennedy, D.G.; Rice, D.A.; Ellis, W.A.
Veterinary Record 129(5): 99
1991
ISSN/ISBN: 0042-4900 PMID: 1926727 Document Number: 381057
A study was carried out in a dairy herd with a long history of the syndrome to monitor the effect of supplementing cows during the dry period with a commercial concentrate feed. For one month before the expected date of calving group A received 1 kg daily of normal dairy concentrate, group B received the same quantity of the concentrate supplemented with 1 mg/kg selenium and 500 mg/kg vitamin E and group C (controls) received no concentrates. There was no significant difference between the incidence of the syndrome in groups A (3 of 34 calves affected) and B (4 of 37 calves affected) but both these groups showed a significant reduction in incidence compared to the control group (10 of 35 calves affected). Iodine deficiency was considered to be a possible factor in the syndrome as some of the affected calves showed thyroid hyperplasia. In limited and uncontrolled studies the incidence of deaths was markedly reduced after iodine was administered parenterally to pregnant cows 3 months before the expected date of calving.