The Effect of Certain Nutritional Factors including Calcium, Phosphorus and Zinc on Parakeratosis in Swine

Abstract

The effects of adding an antibiotic, better quality protein, calcium, phosphorus or zinc to rations of pigs on the development of parakeratosis were studied. The basal ration, composed of corn, soybean meal, meat scraps, limestone and salt, contained 15% protein, 0.82% calcium, 0.47% phosphorus and 35 ppm of zinc. The addition of an antibiotic or better quality protein had no significant effect on weight gains or the incidence and severity of parakeratosis. High calcium rations (1.1 or 1.4% calcium) with the additional calcium being supplied by bone meal, limestone or dicalcium phosphate greatly decreased weight gains and increased the onset of parakeratosis when compared to the basal ration. A monosodium phosphate supplemented ration had no significant effect on weight gains but significantly decreased the skin lesions of pigs when compared to pigs fed the basal ration. The addition to the ration of 50 ppm of zinc as zinc sulfate greatly reduced the incidence and severity of parakeratosis but did not completely prevent the appearance of this disease. The addition of 100 ppm of zinc to the ration of pigs with established cases of parakeratosis produced immediate and dramatic responses in weight gains and essentially eliminated the skin lesions within a 9-week period of treatment. The addition of 500 ppm of zinc to the ration did not elicit a better response than the 100 ppm level of zinc. Parakeratotic pigs injected with inorganic zinc (ZnSO₄·7H₂O) responded similarly to those fed zinc, but the injections caused severe local irritation. Copyright © . .