Effect of postpartum calcium supplementation on serum calcium and parathyroid hormone concentrations in multiparous Holstein cows

Although postpartum Ca supplementation strategies are often employed to prevent subclinical hypocalcemia in dairy cows, these strategies have produced a mix of beneficial, neutral, and detrimental results when assessing milk yield and subsequent disease outcomes. Because the mechanisms underlying th...

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Main Authors: I.R. Frost, C.R. Seely, H.A. McCray, K.R. Callero, J.A. Seminara, R.M. Martinez, A.M. Reid, C.N. Wilbur, K.J. Koebel, J.A.A. McArt
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-05-01
Series:JDS Communications
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666910223001369
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author I.R. Frost
C.R. Seely
H.A. McCray
K.R. Callero
J.A. Seminara
R.M. Martinez
A.M. Reid
C.N. Wilbur
K.J. Koebel
J.A.A. McArt
author_facet I.R. Frost
C.R. Seely
H.A. McCray
K.R. Callero
J.A. Seminara
R.M. Martinez
A.M. Reid
C.N. Wilbur
K.J. Koebel
J.A.A. McArt
author_sort I.R. Frost
collection DOAJ
description Although postpartum Ca supplementation strategies are often employed to prevent subclinical hypocalcemia in dairy cows, these strategies have produced a mix of beneficial, neutral, and detrimental results when assessing milk yield and subsequent disease outcomes. Because the mechanisms underlying these differing results are unknown, our objectives were to determine how common postpartum Ca supplementation strategies affect blood Ca concentrations and parathyroid hormone (PTH). We conducted a randomized controlled trial with 74 multiparous dairy cows on a commercial dairy in central New York. Cows were assigned to 1 of 4 supplementation groups immediately after calving: (1) control (CON; no Ca supplementation, n = 15); (2) conventional oral Ca supplementation (BOL-C; 43 g of oral Ca bolus administered immediately after calving and 24 h later, n = 17); (3) delayed oral Ca supplementation (BOL-D; 43 g of oral Ca bolus administered 48 and 72 h after calving, n = 15); or (4) subcutaneous infusion (SQ; 500 mL of 23% Ca borogluconate infused subcutaneously once immediately after calving, n = 15). Blood samples were collected immediately after calving (0 h) and at 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64, 72, 80, 88, 96, 120, and 168 h postpartum for a total of 15 blood samples per cow. Cows were excluded if administered Ca, via any route, by farm employees or if they died or were sold within 96 h following parturition, which left 62 cows for analysis. Linear mixed models, accounting for repeated measures, were created to analyze changes in serum total Ca (tCa) and PTH over the first 168 h after parturition and assess differences between supplementation groups. Serum tCa and PTH concentrations were not different at the time of calving among supplementation groups. There was a supplementation group by hour postcalving interaction for mean tCa concentration in which SQ cows had reduced tCa concentrations from 32 to 64 h compared with CON cows, 32 to 96 h compared with BOL-C cows, and 40 to 64 h compared with BOL-D cows. Mean PTH concentration did not differ among supplementation groups across 168 h after enrollment and was 158.1 pmol/L (95% confidence interval [CI] = 148.2 to 168.0) for CON cows, 164.0 pmol/L (95% CI = 154.9 to 173.1) for BOL-C cows, 158.7 pmol/L (95% CI = 149.2 to 168.1) for BOL-D cows, and 153.2 pmol/L (95% CI = 143.6 to 162.8) for SQ cows. Our findings suggest that although serum tCa does not differ between cows that receive conventional or delayed oral Ca bolus supplementation at calving and cows that receive no supplemental Ca, subcutaneous infusion of Ca at calving reduces serum tCa for a substantial period between 32 and 64 h postsupplementation. However, as PTH concentrations did not differ among groups across 168 h postpartum, the mechanism by which tCa is reduced remains unclear.
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spelling doaj.art-63274bfafea8412ba43b4b921da52ed02024-04-12T04:46:07ZengElsevierJDS Communications2666-91022024-05-0153215219Effect of postpartum calcium supplementation on serum calcium and parathyroid hormone concentrations in multiparous Holstein cowsI.R. Frost0C.R. Seely1H.A. McCray2K.R. Callero3J.A. Seminara4R.M. Martinez5A.M. Reid6C.N. Wilbur7K.J. Koebel8J.A.A. McArt9College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853College of Arts and Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853; Corresponding authorAlthough postpartum Ca supplementation strategies are often employed to prevent subclinical hypocalcemia in dairy cows, these strategies have produced a mix of beneficial, neutral, and detrimental results when assessing milk yield and subsequent disease outcomes. Because the mechanisms underlying these differing results are unknown, our objectives were to determine how common postpartum Ca supplementation strategies affect blood Ca concentrations and parathyroid hormone (PTH). We conducted a randomized controlled trial with 74 multiparous dairy cows on a commercial dairy in central New York. Cows were assigned to 1 of 4 supplementation groups immediately after calving: (1) control (CON; no Ca supplementation, n = 15); (2) conventional oral Ca supplementation (BOL-C; 43 g of oral Ca bolus administered immediately after calving and 24 h later, n = 17); (3) delayed oral Ca supplementation (BOL-D; 43 g of oral Ca bolus administered 48 and 72 h after calving, n = 15); or (4) subcutaneous infusion (SQ; 500 mL of 23% Ca borogluconate infused subcutaneously once immediately after calving, n = 15). Blood samples were collected immediately after calving (0 h) and at 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64, 72, 80, 88, 96, 120, and 168 h postpartum for a total of 15 blood samples per cow. Cows were excluded if administered Ca, via any route, by farm employees or if they died or were sold within 96 h following parturition, which left 62 cows for analysis. Linear mixed models, accounting for repeated measures, were created to analyze changes in serum total Ca (tCa) and PTH over the first 168 h after parturition and assess differences between supplementation groups. Serum tCa and PTH concentrations were not different at the time of calving among supplementation groups. There was a supplementation group by hour postcalving interaction for mean tCa concentration in which SQ cows had reduced tCa concentrations from 32 to 64 h compared with CON cows, 32 to 96 h compared with BOL-C cows, and 40 to 64 h compared with BOL-D cows. Mean PTH concentration did not differ among supplementation groups across 168 h after enrollment and was 158.1 pmol/L (95% confidence interval [CI] = 148.2 to 168.0) for CON cows, 164.0 pmol/L (95% CI = 154.9 to 173.1) for BOL-C cows, 158.7 pmol/L (95% CI = 149.2 to 168.1) for BOL-D cows, and 153.2 pmol/L (95% CI = 143.6 to 162.8) for SQ cows. Our findings suggest that although serum tCa does not differ between cows that receive conventional or delayed oral Ca bolus supplementation at calving and cows that receive no supplemental Ca, subcutaneous infusion of Ca at calving reduces serum tCa for a substantial period between 32 and 64 h postsupplementation. However, as PTH concentrations did not differ among groups across 168 h postpartum, the mechanism by which tCa is reduced remains unclear.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666910223001369
spellingShingle I.R. Frost
C.R. Seely
H.A. McCray
K.R. Callero
J.A. Seminara
R.M. Martinez
A.M. Reid
C.N. Wilbur
K.J. Koebel
J.A.A. McArt
Effect of postpartum calcium supplementation on serum calcium and parathyroid hormone concentrations in multiparous Holstein cows
JDS Communications
title Effect of postpartum calcium supplementation on serum calcium and parathyroid hormone concentrations in multiparous Holstein cows
title_full Effect of postpartum calcium supplementation on serum calcium and parathyroid hormone concentrations in multiparous Holstein cows
title_fullStr Effect of postpartum calcium supplementation on serum calcium and parathyroid hormone concentrations in multiparous Holstein cows
title_full_unstemmed Effect of postpartum calcium supplementation on serum calcium and parathyroid hormone concentrations in multiparous Holstein cows
title_short Effect of postpartum calcium supplementation on serum calcium and parathyroid hormone concentrations in multiparous Holstein cows
title_sort effect of postpartum calcium supplementation on serum calcium and parathyroid hormone concentrations in multiparous holstein cows
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666910223001369
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