Other than diseases which result from bacteria and viruses, diseases can also be caused by an inadequate supply of proper nutrients in the diet. Metabolic bone disease is caused when there is a deficiency of vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus. The condition is especially aggravated when the problem is not treated for a long period of time. The major cause of this disease is improper care in the dietary needs of animals. According to some veterinarians, the disease can also be caused by a very high consumption of proteins.
Metabolic bone disease is also known by other names, such as osteoporosis, cage paralysis, nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism, rickets and paper bone disease. If the ratio between calcium and phosphorous is disturbed, the disease is impending. A well balanced diet and close monitoring can result in the proper absorption and retention of calcium in the bones.
As long as a young animal is totally dependant on its mother’s milk, it has a very rare chance of developing this disease. But, once it starts eating other food and completely stops drinking its mother’s milk, it can face the risk of catching this disease. Also, animals which live in the wild have a lower chance of developing metabolic bone disease. These animals are able to eat their prey as a whole and the meat is combined with skin, fat, fur, bones, feathers, intestines, etc. Different parts of the prey provide different nutrients and the animal feeding on it gets a balanced diet by eating it.
The major cause of this disease is the unbalancing of calcium. Chunks of muscle meat which are provided to animals in captivity contain minute traces of calcium and high levels of phosphorous. This high level of phosphorous decreases the capacity of the body to absorb the available calcium. Calcium deficiency can also occur when the animal is not fed fully grown animals and only gets neonatal prey. The actual ratio of calcium and phosphorous that has to be consumed is 20:1. And this ratio is reversed when only meat is given to the captive pet, which results in nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism. Even worse, captive animals which are frequently fed only organs such as heart, kidney and liver will have calcium and phosphorus in the ratio of 1:44 which is not only alarming, but will usually result in premature death.
When vitamin A is taken in excess, it suppresses the absorption capacity of vitamin D and even of calcium. The rate of vitamin A consumption increases when liver is fed in large quantities. When the required quantity of vitamin D is not available, it causes rickets disease. In this disease, the bone density is reduced at joints and they become weak and brittle. The bones become more prone to pathological fractures. In addition, neuromuscular abnormalities and poor motor reflexes can also result from lack of adequate quantities of vitamin D.
Calcium is not only required for proper bone growth but also for the proper functioning of muscles. It also enables blood clotting and activation of enzymes. Another function of vitamin D is to maintain the proper ratio of calcium and phosphorous in the blood stream.
The diet should be well balanced. Twice a week, the animal should be given raw bones which have scanty meat on them like ribs, necks, thigh bones, etc. A more simple way is to give the animal a whole prey to feed on. Commercially designed diets already have the required composition of nutrients, but they can be quite expensive. So, if you have an exotic pet, find out the proper type of food that should be provided for it so that it will not suffer nutritional deficiencies, illness and premature death.
Until next time,
Teia
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