Management and Prevention of Vitamin D Deficiency Rickets in Captive-Born Juvenile Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)
IAAAM 2000
Randall E. Junge1, MS, DVM, DACZM; Francis H.
Gannon2, MD; Ingrid Porton1, MS; William H. McAlister3, MD;
Michael P. Whyte3,4, MD
1St. Louis Zoological Park, Forest Park, St. Louis, MO, USA;
2Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, DC, USA; 3Washington
University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; 4Metabolic Research Unit, Shriners
Hospital for Children, St. Louis, MO, USA
Abstract
Vitamin D deficiency rickets was diagnosed in three juvenile chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)
raised indoors under skylights and consuming only breast milk. Cases detected early had mild but characteristic
radiographic changes. More advanced disease presented with florid radiographic features of rickets, pathologic fractures,
as well as hypocalcemia, hypophosphatemia, and low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. Treatment by a single injection of
vitamin D2 in sesame oil (slow release) followed by daily oral supplementation with vitamin D2
corrected the condition. Based on experience with these cases and comparison to humans, a treatment protocol for
mother-reared, inside-housed, chimpanzee juveniles was developed. Intramuscular injection once with 5000 units vitamin
D2 slow release at 4 mo of age, followed by oral supplementation of 400 units vitamin D2 daily until
weaning, is effective in preventing rickets in juvenile chimpanzees raised indoors.