The Effect of “White Scour” on the Absorption of Vitamin a by Calves

Abstract

Summary Single or repeated doses of vitamin A were given by mouth to scouring and control calves. Vitamin A levels of plasma were determined before and after dosing. Vitamin A determinations were also made on the faeces and on the liver. Four hours after dosing, the vitamin A level of the blood of all the control animals had risen by 300 to 500 percent. The rise was much smaller in scouring animals and in SOBle of them it did not occur at all. In the control animals only traces of vitamin A vlere found in the faeces, whereas in the scouring animals definite evidence was obtained that vitamin A was lost in the faeces. In the scouring animals the liver reserves of vitamin A were only about one third of those in the control animals.