Mineral deficiencies in growing cattle cause welfare problems including poor immunity, bone disease, and growth failure that are preventable through targeted supplementation.
Mineral deficiency diseases cause preventable suffering ranging from muscle weakness to immune failure. White muscle disease in calves is acutely painful and often fatal. The challenge is that deficiency symptoms may be subtle until disease is advanced. Routine mineral status assessment and targeted supplementation, guided by veterinary input, prevents most mineral deficiency welfare problems without the toxicity risk of oversupplementation.