Major Minerals-

Calcium and
Phosphorous
Dr.M.K.Mehta
ANN-211
 Calcium and Phosphorus

 These are the two important minerals

which provide rigidity and strength to the
skeletal system.
 The bone is made up of protein matrix of
collagen fiber in which salts of Ca and P
are deposited which give rigidity to bones.
 During the growth phase these minerals
are deposited in the bones and once the
growth has completed these minerals are
required for proper maintenance of the
health of bones.
 Calcium and Phosphorus

 During whole life these minerals in the bones are in

dynamic state which means a continuous exchange
of these minerals takes place between the bones
and the blood.
 Due to this phenomena, Ca and P nutrition is not
only important during growth stage but is important
during rest of the lfie also.
 The deficiency of Ca and P during growth stage leads
to development of a condition rickets.
 While during adult stage, their deficiency causes
Osteomalacia and Osteoporosis.
 The efficient utilization of Ca
and P is dependent upon
following 3 factors :

 1. Sufficient amount of Ca and P

in the feed.
 2. Proper proportion Ca : P (2:1 to
1:1)
 3. Sufficient vitamin D.
 and P and their proper ratio
becomes more important when
there is deficiency of vitamin
D.
If sufficient vitamin D is
present these first two factors
become less important. It is
because the vit. D either D2,
or D3 play important role in
absorption of Ca and its
The active form of Vitamin
D is 1, 25 Dihydroxy
cholicalceferal which helps
in the synthesis of Ca
binding protein or Cabp
which is important for
absorption of Ca.
 feed skin
Cholecalciferol 7-dehydro cholesterol

cholecalciferol
liver
25, hydroxy cholecalciferol
kidney
1,25 dihydroxy cholecalciferol

intestine bone kidney

 Deficiency conditions

 Rickets - It is a deficiency condition of Ca, P and Vit. D which

occurs in young animals.
 It affects all domestic animals and is exhibited by low or
bent legs, swollen joints.
 In human beings, a condition called as Rickety Rosary which
appears on the chest of young babies due to the swollen
costo-chondral junction of sternum and ribs.
 Osteomalacia and osteoporosis are other deficiency
conditions which occur in adult animals.
 NSH: In zoo animals, monkey and horses.
 1.Rickets
 The growth becomes stunted and bones are
more susceptible to fracture.
 In animals, it is more common in pups and
calves.
 The pups of larger breeds such as Alsatian, great
Dane, Doberman etc. have a higher
requirementof these minerals and if extra
supplementation is not provided they may show
the symptoms.
 The treatment consists of providing sufficient Ca
and P alongwith Vit. D.
 2. Osteomalacia -
 A condition similar to rickets observed in
adults As earlier mentioned, these minerals
are in a dynamic state throughout the life and
any physiological demand for these minerals
mobilizes them from the bones. Eg. During
the peak of lactation when high amount of Ca
is secreted in milk and if not provided in the
food it is drawn from the bones. The
treatment of osteomalacia is also on similar
lines of providing vit. D , Ca and P.
 3. Osteoporosis -
 Inosteoporosis, the absolute amount
of bone is lost leading to deformed
bones. The hormones and the
deficiency of minerals and vitamin D
are important reasons for this
condition.
4. NSH (Nutritional secondary
hyperparathyroidism) -
 This is a condition of mainly monkey and
other carnivorous animals in zoo given
phosphorous rich and calcium deficient
diet.
 Due to high P there is reduced absorption
of Ca from intestines, leading to a reduced
Ca level in blood.
 To maintain this Ca, the parathyroid gland
is stimulated and the parathyroid hormone
mobilizes Ca from bones.
 NSH
 The collagen tissue proliferates in the
region from where Ca has been
removed giving rise to soft, swollen
appearance to bone.
 In monkeys, when such condition is
seen in skull bones it is called as “big
head disease”. Similarly, in horses also
swollen and soft bones result in NSH.
 5. Pica -
 Phosphorous deficiency in
cattle, appetite becomes
depraved or abnormal. In
ruminants, they start chewing
abnormal objects like wood,
cloth etc. to get P. It can be
treated by giving P rich diet.
 Other Hypocalcemic
diseases
 Parturient peresis/ milk fever
Pre-disposing factors
 High yielding older cows
 Jersey
 High Ca (>100g/d)
 High P (>80g/d)
 High cation diet
 Cow
suffering
from Milk
Fever
 Ca turn over in a cow
Intake Absorb Bone, 7kg
50-60g 15-30g

20-30g

Blood
level Endogenous
8-10g% Fecal loss
5-8g

Milk Fetus
20-80g 2-7g
 Treatment
 Ca borogluconate
 100-200g of the compound as 20-30%
solution. In medium sized cow 400-800ml, in
heavier cows 800-1000ml
 Half dose S/C, Half I/V
 General tendency of using, Ca, P, Mg and
glucose no extra benefit
 General nursing: shifting from side to side,
massage of bony prominence, assistance to
animal to stand up( good heap at the base
of the tail)
 Control
 Feeding of diet low in Ca
 Increasing the anion content of the diet
 Injection of Vitamin D ( D2 20million IU for 5
days, D3 20 million IU single dose)
 Drenching of Ca (100g of Ca ) 1-2 h before
calving, 1-2h after calving, 10-14h after
calving
 Management: close monitoring, control
obesity, avoid stress, provide good housing
 Sources of Ca and P -
 Calcium: Leguminous seeds,
roughages, animal byproducts like
bone meal, fish meal, tankage
(slaughter house byproduct), milk and
milk by products and leaf meal.
 P - vegetable protein supplements,
grain by produts, especially wheat
bran which is the richest source of P.
Animal protein supplement, bone
meal and fish meal.
 Calcium content of some
common feed stuff (%DM)
1.4 1.3
1.2

1 lucerne
maize silage
0.8 maize
0.6 barley
0.4 wheat bran
0.4 0.3 SBM
0.2 0.1
0.03 0.05
0
 Calcium and Phosphorous
supplements
Supplement Ca % P%

 1. Limestone - Ca CO3 34-35 Nil

 2. Sterilized Bone meal 29 14

 3. Di Ca phosphate 26 21

 4. Deflourinated 29-36 12-18

rock phosphate

 5. Calcium phosphate 17 21
 Phytate Phosphorous -
 The P present in the cereal grains is in
a complex form with organic
compound phytic acid and this
phytate form is not available to
simple stomached animals because
the bonds are not broken by
mammalian enzymes.
 However, microbes in rumen can
degrade this by phytase enzyme.
 Phytate Phosphorous -
 In addition to P, the phytates also combine
with other trace minerals such as Zn and Fe
and thus reduces their bio-availability.
 Now-a days, the phytase enzyme is used as
a fed additive which makes these minerals
available to the simple stomach animals like
poultry also.
 Chemically, the phytic acid is composed of
inositol ring with phosphoric acid.
Phytat
e
 Oxalate
 As the phytate is responsible for reduced
absorption of P, oxalate is responsible for
Ca.
 In many natural feeds the Ca is present in
a complex form as Ca oxalate.
 This is mostly present in green leaves,
spinach, tomatoes.
 The oxalate is responsible for reduced Ca
absorption and for the formation of urinary
calculi because during excretion, in urinary
tract, ca oxalate crystals are formed.
Calcium Oxalate
Ca-Oxalate
(Uroliths)
Ca-Oxalate crystals