Evaluation of feet and skeletons of limbs from pigs treated with a repartitioning agent, cimaterol.

Recently, beta-adrenergic agents, which repartition muscle and fat, have been used to develop more muscular carcasses in broilers, steers, lambs, and pigs. Cimaterol, one such repartitioning agent, effectively improves carcass quality in pigs. Since the mode of action of repartitioning agents is uncertain, and because they may indirectly affect skeletal development or the integrity of feet, the purpose of this study was to assess the effect of cimaterol on selected growth cartilages and feet. Pigs were randomly placed in four groups and fed a ration that included Cimaterol at 0.00, 0.25, 0.50, or 1.00 mg/kg. At 100 kg live-weight, pigs were slaughtered and selected growth cartilages, bones, and feet were examined macroscopically, radiologically, and microscopically. Although the majority of pigs had lesions in feet, or had dyschondroplastic changes typical of osteochondrosis in many growth cartilages, particularly physes, there were no significant differences in frequency of pigs with lesions between groups. Cimaterol enhanced carcass quality with no detrimental effect on bones or feet.