Effect of Colostrum Intake on Metabolic Rate and Plasma Glucose in the Neonatal Pig in Relation to Environmental Temperature

The effects of feeding sow colostrum on oxygen consumption (VO2), heat production (HP), respiratory quotient (RQ) and rectal temperature (RT) were examined in 26 newborn piglets in a thermoneutral (32 degrees C) and in a cold (18 degrees C) environment. Colostrum (32 g/kg body weight) was given by gavage at 3 h of age. A control group received a similar amount of saline. VO2, HP, RQ and RT were measured for approximately 1 h prior to force-feeding and 2 h after feeding. The response of plasma glucose to ingestion of colostrum or saline was recorded in 18 additional piglets kept at 32 or 18 degrees C. The effects of feeding saline on all parameters studied were not significant (p greater than 0.10). Ingestion of colostrum was followed at both temperatures by a marked rise (p less than 0.05) in VO2 and RT. The responses of VO2 were curvilinear (p less than 0.05) with the maximum rise occurring in both treatments within 30 min after colostrum administration and amounting (% of prefeeding values) to 45 +/- 7 and 16 +/- 2% at 32 and 18 degrees C, respectively. The rises in VO2 persisted for more than 1 h postfeeding. The heat increment associated with feeding colostrum was lower (p less than 0.05) at 18 than at 32 degrees C. Nonsignificant transient increases in RQ were observed. Prefeeding plasma glucose was higher (p less than 0.05) at 18 than at 32 degrees C.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)