A form of hepatogenous copper poisoning in fattening cattle associated with the ingestion of mouldy straw

Abstract

AbstractTwo bulls from a group of 85 fattening bulls and heifers were examined postmortem. Both had generalised jaundice, swollen pale brown livers, dark brown kidneys and dark brown urine in the bladders. Biochemical testing of the livers and kidneys was indicative of copper poisoning in the two animals. Histopathology identified necrotising hepatopathy, consistent with an acute haemolytic crisis, superimposed on liver lesions of longer duration, which were suggestive of another toxic aetiology. Analysis of the animals’ concentrate diets did not indicate excess amounts of copper, but they had access to poor quality straw, which was visibly mouldy; the straw was removed and no further clinical disease was observed. This case report is an example of copper poisoning occurring in animals that were not fed excess copper, but had underlying hepatic damage, which reduced their copper tolerance, and resembles hepatogenous copper toxicity associated with the ingestion of hepatotoxic plants.