Vitamin A Injectables for cattle can be used to treat a deficiency in the vitamin, but the correct dosage is important. The injectable should be given intramuscularly into the neck. Cattle should be injected with vitamin A three times a year during winter and drought, or as needed.
Swivet Vitamin A Injectable
Vitamin A deficiency in cattle can result in several symptoms. It can reduce fertility, cause lowered calving percentage, and cause cows to abort or drop dead calves. Symptoms of a vitamin A deficiency in cattle may also include decreased appetite, dull eyes, and rough hair coat. Deficient animals may also experience slowed growth and reduced feed efficiency. In young animals, diarrhea and pneumonia can be early indicators of vitamin A deficiency. In later stages, excessive watering of the eyes, lameness of the legs, and brisket, and convulsions can be signs of a deficiency.
Swivet Vitamin A Injectable for Cattle is a veterinary-grade, emulsified solution that is intended for injecting into cattle. It is designed to quickly restore a cow’s vitamin A levels to normal levels. One bottle contains approximately 50,000 IU of vitamin A. The injection is administered once a month to cattle, or every other month if the cow is severely vitamin A deficient.
Vitamin A injections in muscle are more effective than feed-based vitamin A supplements. Animals fed high silage rations deplete their normal stores of vitamin A in their livers. They may not provide long-term protection, however. In addition, vitamin A injected into the muscle increases the ability of the liver to store vitamin A.
Dietary sources of vitamin A
Vitamin A is an important nutrient for cattle, which is why its deficiency can have serious consequences for breeding herds. Insufficient vitamin A can reduce calving percentage, cause abnormal milk production, and cause reproductive problems, including low conception rates and stillbirths. Cattle that lack enough vitamin A also exhibit other symptoms, such as lowered milk production and lowered quality of semen.
The amount of vitamin A your cattle needs depends on the type of diet they eat. For instance, a pregnant cow requires about 1,300 International Units (IU) per pound of dry feed. A lactating cow requires more than 18,000 IU per day.
Cows store little vitamin A in their liver, and deficiency in young cattle can develop more quickly than in older animals. A recent study in California found that young cattle who were fed a vitamin A-deficient diet showed earlier deficiency symptoms. Moreover, there is no way to predict whether or not a particular cattle’s liver contains adequate amounts of vitamin A. In addition, cattle can lose vitamin A from their livers despite grazing on high-silage or green pasture.
Dietary sources of vitamin A injectable can provide the animal with enough vitamin A to prevent deficiency. Feedlot cattle can be provided with as much as six milligrams of carotene per hundred pounds of body weight, and 50,000 to 1 million IU of vitamin A per head of cattle can be given in feed. Injectable vitamin A in cattle has not been proven to be toxic.
Treatment of deficiency in beef cattle
The treatment of vitamin a deficiency in cattle consists of supplying sufficient amounts of vitamin A in the feed. This can be done by repeated intramuscular injections or through continuous dietary supplementation. The vitamin A content in cattle feed should be at least 400,000 IU per kilogram of body weight to ensure normal growth. Cattle feed, on average, contains only thirteen60 IU of vitamin A per kg. The serum levels of vitamin A in cattle were also very low.
Early signs of vitamin A deficiency in cattle include night blindness and a rough coat. Additional symptoms include slowed growth and decreased feed efficiency. Young animals may also develop diarrhea and pneumonia. As the disease progresses, later signs include excessive watering of the eyes and swelling of the legs. In some cases, convulsions may result.
Deficiency in vitamin A can affect cows at any stage of their lives. In pregnant cattle, lowered vitamin A levels can result in decreased calving rate, reduced feed intake and reduced growth. Cows with vitamin A deficiency may also be difficult to conceive and may even die during labor.
A dose of 500,000 to one million IU of vitamin A per kilogram of body weight is a good start for treating vitamin A deficiency in beef cattle. It’s important to note that high doses of vitamin A are not toxic for beef cattle.
