Difructose anhydride III (DFA III) is an oligosaccharide consisting of two linked fructose residues. It has been reported to enhance calcium absorption in rats and to be hardly decomposed by rumen microorganisms in cows. It has also been reported that giving DFA III to close-up dry cows (last three weeks before calving), along with a low-calcium concentrate feed, prevented the decline of blood calcium levels at the time of calving. Therefore, we examined methods of feeding DFA III along with concentrate feed with different calcium content and the effectiveness of postpartum oral administration of a calcium-DFA III combination supplement by analyzing the changes in the blood calcium levels. We also studied the effects of administering DFA III during the dry period on the prevention of peripartum diseases in ordinary dairy farms. Treatment Group I was given a concentrate feed containing 0.19% calcium by dry weight, and also received DFA III during close-up and postpartum. The blood calcium level in this treatment group at the time of calving was 7.2mg/dl. Treatment Groups 2 and 3 received concentrate feed containing 1.06% calcium. In addition, Group 2 received DFA III during the early dry period, and at close-up and postpartum, and group 3 received DFA III only during close-up. The blood calcium level in treatment groups 2 and 3 at the time of calving was 7.9 and 8.0mg/dl, respectively. In particular, treatment group 3, which had received neither added calcium nor DFA III after calving, experienced a delay in the recovery of the postpartum blood calcium level, the level being 7.7±0.7mg/dl at 24 hours postpartum, which was lower than the levels recorded at 0 and 6 hours. The feeding study of DFA III in ordinary dairy farms showed that the proportion of the studied cows showing an incidence of peripartum diseases associated with hypocalcemia declined from 42% in the control year when DFA III was not administered to 15.2% in the test year when DFA III was given. The above findings indicated that DFA III given during the dry period and an oral calcium-DFA III combination supplement given postpartum may relieve postpartum hypocalcemia and also lower the incidence of related peripartum diseases.

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To evaluate the immune response in calves with pneumonia, serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and peripheral leukocyte population were analyzed in 29 calves with naturally occurring pneumonia. The calves with pneumonia were divided into two groups: severe pneumonia (group 1, n=12) and mild pneumonia (group 2, n=17). In the group 1, all showed marked clinical signs such as polypnea, coughing and rales. The arterial pH and pO₂ levels in group 1 were significantly lower than that in group 2. The serum TNF activity in group 1 tended to be higher than in group 2. Significant decreases in the numbers of CD3⁺, CD4⁺and CD8⁺T cells were observed in group 1 compared to group 2. There were significant relationships between CD3⁺T cells number and pO₂, serum TNF activity and CD4⁺T cells number, respectively. These results indicated that serum TNF activity and leukocyte population were related to the pathophysiological condition in calves with pneumonia.

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This study was conducted to understand the relationship between the peripartum nutritional status, as reflected in the levels of some blood and milk constituents and changes in body weight, and postpartum return to normal ovarian activity in dairy Holstein cattle. The time from parturition to resumption of a normal estrous cycle, estimated from changes in milk P4 levels, was 43.7±2.2 (mean±SE) days for this dairy herd. Animals with low values of milk protein (<3.0%) and solids-not-fat (SNF) (<8.5%) showed a significant delay (50.5±3.8 days and 56.2±5.8 days vs. 43.7±2.2 days, p<0.05), and the animals with low values of milk fat, P/F ratio and milk sugar displayed a tendency to delay the resumption of the estrous cycle. Furthermore, the groups with the most highest and a higher rate of peripartum body weight loss displayed a significant delay (59.1±7.4 days, p<0.01 and 41.5±2.4 days, p<0.05) in postpartum resumption of the estrous cycle when compared with groups that had less body weight loss (35.9±3.5 days).

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To improve the survival rate of calves affected by severe diarrhea, it is important to correct abnormalities in the equilibrium of electrolytes and the acid-base balance. However, very little information about this is available for Japanese Black calves. In the present study, we measured blood gas values and some blood biochemical components of the venous blood of 30-day-old or younger, healthy and diarrhea-affected Japanese Black calves, with a portable blood gas analyzer. Healthy calves had pHv 7.35±0.09, carbondioxide partial pressure (PvCO₂) 60.5±12.5 mmHg, total carbondioxide concentration (tCO₂) 33.5±3.5mEq/l, bicarbonate (vHCO₃^-) 32.5±3.5 mEq/l, Na⁺136.5±2.5mEq/l, K⁺4.75±0.65mEq/l, Cl^-99.5±3.5mEq/l, base excess (BE) 7±4mEq/l, anion gap (AG) 9.35±2.65mEq/l, BUN 9±6mg/dl, blood sugar 114.5±29.5mg/dl, hematocrit (Ht) 27.55±10.25%, and hemoglobin (Hb) 9.15±3.35g/dl. Many of these measured blood gas values and related components of the healthy calves clearly differed from the values of calves that had diarrhea-induced metabolic acidosis. Gas analysis of the venous blood of calves under emergency treatment and routine check-up has great diagnostic significance. Also, the various blood gas values of healthy calves measured in the present study could be used as reference values for the venous blood of Japanese Black calves.

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