Case report: Phosphorus deficiency in a steer

Hypophosphataemia, more commonly known as phosphorus (P) deficiency was diagnosed in July 2021 in a young steer on a property in the Katherine region.

The steer presented with a suspected fractured hip during yarding. The property had also recently had a small number of yarding losses due to suspected back fractures. The steer was euthanized and the regional veterinary officer conducted a post mortem, with blood and tissue samples collected. Special attention was paid to the strength of the ribs as this can provide an idea on the strength of the other bones.

Affected adult cattle may present with what is commonly called ‘peg leg’. This is when animals walk with an arched back and a stiff gait. In addition to the suspected broken leg, the steer in question had ribs that were easily broken and had a rubbery feel. An obvious fracture was not seen but there was a lot of bruising and inflammation seen around the affected leg. The producer had also seen at least one other cow with peg leg.

Lab results generally cannot confirm chronic P deficiency, as the body will move P from the muscles and bones into the blood so it is available for other vital body functions. Some indicators include reduced calving rates and weights as it is an important nutrient for muscle and bone development and growth. Adult cattle may have poor feed conversion and brittle bones. If the herd isn’t vaccinated against botulism, outbreaks may also occur due to the cattle eating bones from carcases.

P deficiency can be minimised by providing a good quality lick. Wet season lick is very important to prevent a P deficiency, and it is important to make sure there are enough lick stations so all animals can access it. P supplements will increase the feed intake and feed conversion so it is important to monitor your stocking densities. You may not be able to run as many cattle but the kilograms produced should make up for this.

More information

Read about phosphorus supplementation of cattle in northern Australia on the FutureBeef website.

For more information please contact your local vet officers:

Darwin veterinary officer: 08 8999 2035
Katherine regional veterinary officer: 08 8973 9716.