Effects of addition of fluorine in diets differing in protein content on urinary fluoride excretion, clinical chemistry and thyroid hormones in calves

In order to compare the effects of addition of fluorine (F) in diets differing in protein content on the urinary F excretion, blood profile and thyroid hormones, 30 crossbred calves (6-8 months) initially exposed to different protein levels were allotted into six groups in a 3 × 2 factorial design. The factors included three different levels of protein: normal (NP; 100%), low (LP; 75%), and high (HP; 125%) besides two levels of supplemental fluorine (as sodium fluoride) at 0 or 200 mg/kg diet. The animals were fed a wheat straw-based diet for 210 d. Feeding NP diets decreased urinary fluoride...