[Effect of megadose vitamin C on osteochondrosis in pigs (author's transl)]

Two experiments with daily supplementation of from 1 g vitamin C pr. pig at 10-12 kg live weight, gradually increased to about 8 g at 100 kg live weight, are described. Experiment I consisted of 9 pigs supplemented with vitamin C on the food once a day, and 9 pigs used as control group. Experiment II consisted of 2 litters, each of 10 pigs. Five pigs from each litter were given vitamin C supplement intramuscularly once a week until 6 weeks of age, thereafter on the food once a day, and the other 5 were used as control group. Incidence and degree of lesions in the elbow joint, in the distal epiphyseal plate of ulna and in the medial condyle of femur were examined after slaughtering. There was no statistically significant difference in incidence or degree of lesions between the comparable groups. However, in experiment I there was a tendency toward less severity of lesions among pigs getting vitamin C (Table I). groups were slaughtered at the same age. The mean slaughter weight was 5.2 kg higher for the pigs which had gotten vitamin C. The difference was not statistically significant.