Zinc Toxicity in Cattle
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IN THE LAB Zinc toxicity in cattle Hania Klobukowska, of Gribbles Veterinary, contemplates one of the risks involved in zinc supplementation. INTRODUCTION Zinc toxicity is almost exclusively seen following the prophylactic use of zinc supplementation administered during the facial eczema (FE) season. Zinc toxicity is not new to the New Zealand scene, but it is important to consider it as a differential diagnosis under certain circumstances, especially when the farm is known to be supplementing the mineral. Although many zinc toxicity cases (including those described in this report) involve the inadvertent use of zinc boluses, it must be remembered that there are various methods of administering the product that can also result in toxicity – for example, excessive administration of zinc into in-line water feeding devices (Ackermann et al., 2012) and excess zinc in the soil (Briston and Pike, 2015). Therefore, when approaching suspected zinc toxicity cases, consideration should always be given to more widespread farm grazing and mineral management practices. The following describes three cases of zinc toxicity as they presented and were diagnosed at Gribbles Veterinary, hardjobovis, copenhageni and tarrasovi suspected from the outset as these Palmerston North. Leptospira serovars, and within-range heifers, similarly to those in Case 1, gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) were known to have been administered CASE 1 and serum copper levels. Zinc serum twice the recommended intra-ruminal Two Friesian-cross R1 dairy heifers levels were found to be elevated at zinc bolus dose. Furthermore, the presented with severe anaemia. (The in- 208µmol/L and 146µmol/L each (toxic water was being treated with an in-line house packed-cell volume measurements level range 27–92µmol/L). Upon further zinc dispenser. Histopathology was were 11% and 14%, whereas the normal investigation, it was found that these performed and revealed a severe, acute reference range is 24–40%.) Although heifers had inadvertently been given necrohaemorrhagic abomasitis with a full complete blood count and twice the recommended intra-ruminal submucosal vasculitis. There was also a biochemical profile were not performed, zinc bolus dose. submucosal vasculitis with associated one of the heifers also had red urine, oedema of the small intestinal wall. suggesting the anaemia was haemolytic CASE 2 There was acute tubular necrosis and in origin. Further investigations Two Friesian R1 dairy heifers were pigmenturia in the kidney. Zinc liver levels included a pooled Theileria PCR, found dead. A postmortem conducted were found to be markedly elevated in the which was negative; there were also on one of them found it had severe necropsied heifer at 6,294µmol/kg (normal negative antibody titres to the pomona, abomasal pathology. Zinc toxicity was zinc liver range: 380–1,530µmol/kg). 58 – VetScript August 2019 IMAGERY: ISTOCKPHOTO.COM IN THE LAB Diagnosis of zinc toxicity involves zinc-level evaluations in blood or liver. Zinc levels may be within the toxic range in more acute to subacute cases. However, ZINC TOXICITY CAN PRESENT VARIABLY in chronic toxicities, zinc levels can fall into a more ‘normal’ range. This can be DEPENDING ON THE DOSAGE AND ACUTENESS more challenging to interpret, and the AND CHRONICITY OF TOXICOSIS. risk is missing chronic zinc toxicity as the problem. If animals are dead or sacrificed then histopathology on a complete set of tissues is recommended, with a particular focus on the pancreas, liver, kidney and CASE 3 the effects of FE in New Zealand livestock. gastrointestinal tract. A full set of tissues A large proportion of R1 dairy heifers Zinc is primarily absorbed in the small is important as it will also help rule in/ were found to have sub-optimal weight intestine, and although it is distributed out other causes of death or possible gains despite abundant feed. Some of throughout the body, it tends to co-morbidities. The pancreas is incredibly them were also scouring. Initial laboratory accumulate in the liver, pancreas, spleen susceptible to the effects of excessive zinc, results revealed within-range GGT and and kidney (Garland, 2012). Zinc toxicity and there are not many other differential serum copper levels and a low bovine can present variably depending on the diagnoses that will result in the classic viral diarrhoea virus antibody pooled S/P dosage and acuteness and chronicity of pancreatic histological lesions we see with ratio (0.08). Faecal testing revealed low toxicosis. Furthermore, calves are thought zinc toxicity. numbers of strongyle eggs and minimal to be more sensitive to the effects of zinc as coccidial burdens and negative Yersinia they absorb larger quantities of it through CONCLUSION cultures. Zinc serum levels were found the gastrointestinal system (Parton et al., The use of zinc as an FE prophylactic is to be elevated in all of the tested animals 2006). Haematologic, gastrointestinal widespread in the North Island during (range 44–110µmol/L), raising suspicions and pancreatic manifestations of zinc FE season. As with other trace elements, this was the primary problem. Zinc toxicity are well described, and animals the need for use must be weighed against supplementation was reviewed for these can present with haemolytic anaemias, the risk of disuse. It is generally accepted heifers, and it was found that they had severe gastrointestinal upsets, diarrhoea that zinc supplementation can be used received an initial zinc bolus targeted for and general ill-thrift. The pathogenesis as an effective tool for FE prophylaxis. the 175–250kg weight range, despite the of zinc toxicity as it relates to the systems However, careful management practices mob averaging 185kg, with large variances involved is poorly understood. need to be instigated to prevent between minimum and maximum The gastrointestinal manifestations inadvertent toxicity (eg, dosing to the weights. Subsequent zinc boluses were of disease can mimic acute and chronic correct weight, correct interval, etc.), as administered monthly despite poor weight bacterial, viral and parasitic enteritides. overzealous use can have grievous short- gain, resulting in a cumulative overdose. However, consideration may also be given and long-term consequences. By the end of the outbreak a small number to less well known agents such as acorn of heifers had been euthanased due to and arsenic toxicity. These substances, REFERENCES: poor condition. Histology of the pancreas along with zinc, can have a very corrosive Ackermann S, Johnston H, Shelgren J. What revealed chronic atrophic and fibrotic effect on the gastrointestinal mucosa. was he zincing? Proceedings of the Society of Dairy lesions with attempts at regeneration, Differential diagnoses for haemolytic Cattle Veterinarians of the NZVA Annual Conference. Pp a classic histological finding with zinc anaemias are many, but in New Zealand 2.16.1–4, 2012 toxicity (Jubb and Stent, 2016). considerations include copper toxicity, Briston P, Pike C. The stink of zinc: The curious leptospirosis (specifically in calves), incident of the cows in the effluent paddock. 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