Effects of different formulae for oral and parenteral administration ofiron on somatic growth and selected haematological indexes in piglets

摘要

Effects of oral administration of two types of iron-containing pastes and parenteral administration of dextrane-bound iron on somatic growth and selected haematological indexes were compared in 140 piglets, crosses of the Large White and Landrace breeds. The growth rate of piglets treated orally with pastes containing 40 or 90 mg of lactate-bound iron or 100 mg of fumarate-bound iron per dose (1 mi) equalled that of their littermates treated intramuscularly with 200 mg of Ferridextran. The dose of 40 mg of lactate-bound iron was insufficient for maintaining all haematological indexes at the level observed in piglets treated intramuscularly with Ferridextran. A single dose of 90 mg of lactate-bound iron was necessary to induce an effect equal to that of Ferridextran. Mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular haemoglobin content were the most sensitive indicators of the level of iron intake. The effect of oral administration of 100 mg fumarate-bound iron on haematological indexes was equal to that of parenteral administration of 200 mg Fe and even stronger on some indexes in the 2nd week of life. It is concluded that oral treatment with iron ions can be as effective as parenteral treatment provided that intestinal functions are normal.