What Is Metabolic Bone Disease?

Metabolic bone disease is usually caused by certain nutritional imbalances in the body, mostly from calcium deficiency. This illness can be found in humans as well as animals, such as reptiles.

Malnutrition

Malnutrition and vitamin deficiency causes most cases of metabolic bone disease. This is mostly evident when you have a lack of calcium in your diet.

Phosphorus

Too much phosphorus in the diet turns calcium into calcium phosphate, an unusable form of calcium that leads to calcium deficiency.

Vitamin D3

This vitamin D behaves more like a hormone that facilitates in calcium absorption and maintains normal bone functions. Lacking this vitamin will lead to calcium deficiency.

Parathyroid Hormone

When there's a calcium deficiency, this hormone is secreted from the parathyroid glands to work harder at maintaining a calcium in the bones, at the expense of leaving the bones weak.

Skeletal Change

Metabolic bone disease will ultimately lead to bone deformations, including bowed legs, softness in the face, rubber-like jaws and unnatural swelling in your limbs.

Treatment

Treating metabolic bone disease involves correcting your diet, which sometimes isn't very easy with people or animals. Mostly, corrective treatment involves patience.

References

• Vet Article on Bone Disease
• People with Bone Disease