Which vitamin deficiency can contribute to metabolic bone disease along with calcium deficiency or poor Ca:P balance?

• A. Vitamin D
• B. Vitamin A
• C. Vitamin C
• D. Vitamin E

Answer: (A)

Vitamin D is essential for calcium and phosphorus absorption and bone mineralization. When vitamin D is deficient, the gut absorbs less calcium, which lowers blood calcium levels. To maintain calcium in the blood, the body increases bone resorption, leading to weaker bones and metabolic bone disease. This problem is especially likely when calcium intake is already low or the Ca:P balance is off, because the bones are already on the edge of mineral scarcity and vitamin D deficiency pushes them toward demineralization. In wildlife rehab, proper UVB exposure or dietary vitamin D3 is crucial, since without it even a calcium-rich diet may not be effectively utilized for bone building. The other vitamins don’t play this direct, central role in calcium absorption and bone mineralization. vitamin A is more tied to remodeling and growth rather than deficiency-driven mineral loss, vitamin C deficiency affects collagen and connective tissues but is not the primary driver of metabolic bone disease, and vitamin E isn’t directly linked to bone mineralization.