Partial substitution, with their chelated complexes, of the inorganic zinc, copper and manganese in sow diets reduced the laminitic lesions in the claws and improved the morphometric characteristics of the hoof horn of sows from three Greek herds

Table 2 Frequency of histologic changes for the claws of culled sows that received the ID and the SD

Foot	Toe	Diet	Lamellar hyperplasia (%)	Edema(%)	Necrosis (%)	Hemorrhage (%)	Hyperemia (%)	White blood cells (%)
Front	Medial	ID	20^a(25.64)	14^a(17.95)	2^a(2.56)	6^a(7.69)	2^a(2.56)	9^a(11.54)
	Medial	SD	13^a(17.33)	13^a(17.33)	0^a(0.00)	2^a(2.66)	3^a(4.00)	7^a(9.33)
	Lateral	ID	22^a(28.21)	20^a(25.64)	5^a(6.41)	9^a(11.54)	0^a(0.00)	5^a(6.41)
	Lateral	SD	14^a(18.66)	14^a(18.66)	2^a(2.66)	1^b(1.33)	4^b(5.33)	9^a(12.00)
Rear	Medial	ID	20^a(25.64)	12^a(15.38)	3^a(3.85)	7^a(8.97)	1^a(1.28)	7^a(8.97)
Rear	Medial	SD	11^a(14.66)	8^a(10.66)	1^a(1.33)	1^b(1.33)	3^a(4.00)	6^a(8.00)
	Lateral	ID	30^a(38.46)	20^a(25.64)	4^a(5.13)	14^a(17.95)	1^a(1.28)	17^a(21.79)
	Lateral	SD	27^a(36.00)	23^a(30.66)	6^a(8.00)	3^b(4.00)	2^a(2.66)	21^a(28.00)

Number and frequency (%) of histologic changes recorded in tissue samples of dermis and epidermis of 312 claws from 78 sows that were on diets with inorganic sources of Zn, Cu and Mn (Inorganic Diet: ID) until they were culled at weaning and of 300 claws from 75 sows which were on diets with organic sources of Zn, Cu and Mn (Supplemented Diet: SD) for one or two gestations until they were culled at weaning, from three Greek herds. The frequencies are presented by foot (front or rear) and toe (medial or lateral). The tissue samples were taken from claw sections from the midpoint of the dorsal wall.
^a,bDifferent lower case superscript letters indicate significant difference between the ID and the SD, for each claw of the front and rear feet separately (P < 0.05; Pearson’s χ² test).

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