The Mineral Nutrition of Livestock (Third Edition) [Hardcover]

"Suttle (Moredun Research Institute, Penicuik, England) here revises the late Underwood's 1980 update of his 1970 reference for veterinarians, animal scientists, and advanced students of nutrition. He begins with three general chapters on the physiological basis of mineral needs, dietary sources, and principles for detecting deficiencies. Calcium and phosphorus he now treats separately to acknowledge their distinctive metabolism outside the skeleton. He also details the contrasting features of phosphorus and magnesium nutrition in ruminants and non-ruminants, and includes a new chapter stressing the unique need of ruminants for elemental sulphur. Other changes are in the chapters on trace elements, new chapters on occasionally beneficial elements and essentially toxic elements, and the improved conduct and interpretation of supplementation trials."--SciTech Book News

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

This new edition, published in its second edition in 1981, adheres to the framework laid down by the late Professor Underwood, but has been thoroughly revised by Neville Suttle. It begins with three chapters of general introduction on the physiological need for minerals, dietary sources of minerals and the principles governing detection of deficiencies. Several advances in the assessment of mineral availability are described and claims for enhanced availability for new chelated sources critically reviewed. The chapter on detection includes new physiological and biochemical definitions of the marginal band between a deficient and normal mineral status to improve the precision of diagnoses. In bringing the chapters on macro-minerals up-to-date, calcium and phosphorus are treated separately to acknowledge their distinctive metabolism outside the skeleton and new treatments, such as the use of acid diets for milk-fever, are described. The contrasting features of phosphorus and magnesium nutrition in the ruminant and non-ruminant are drawn out and the unique need of the ruminant for elemental sulphur is stressed in a new chapter. With trace elements, a few chapters (eg. iron and manganese) show relatively little change from the second edition while others have changed drastically: for example, the identification of new seleno-proteins with hitherto unknown functions and a new interaction (with iodine) necessitate a major revision of the selenium chapter. A new chapter has been introduced to cover the newer essential trace elements, notably chromium. Coverage of toxic elements has been extended to include common dietary poisons such as arsenic and lead as well as fluorine. The edition concludes with a new chapter on the improved conduct and interpretation of supplementation trials which reflects their important role in differential diagnosis. Easy reference appendix tables summarize essential information on feed composition, dietary requirements and criteria of mineral status in livestock. The book should continue to represent a concise text on this topic for advanced students of animal science.

It will save farmers and vets time and money to get a copy
The value of this book is that it provides an objective view on a specialised subject, mineral nutrition,which impinges on animal welfare, profitability of livestock farming, precision of veterinary diagnoses and pollution of the environment. It does so at a time when the pool of scientific expertise on the subject is shrinking rapidly due to changing priorities in government spending. The vaccuum is being filled by commercially funded or linked research and publicity which exagerates the risks of mineral disorders to boost sales of mineral supplements. By adhering to the guidelines given on diagnosis of mineral disorders, vets can protect their clients from this exploitation and consumers from 'pollution' of their foods and environment.