Enzootic calcinosis in sheep: soil-plant-animal relationship

Chemical compositions of soil, water, feeds, and forages on a farm where sheep were affected with calcinosis (experimental site) and a farm with sheep not affected with calcinosis (control site) were determined. The study lasted 1 year. It was observed that water from the experimental site had higher electrical conductivity and calcium level than from the control site. Higher conductivity indicated greater mineral content in the water. Soil from the experimental site had lower levels of potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus and higher content of exchangeable calcium as compared with these values of the control site. Exchangeable Ca:Mg ratio for soil of the experiemntal site was twice greater than that of the control site. Forage plants of the experimental site had lower concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, and copper, but higher values of potassium and sulfur. The K:Ca + Mg, K:P, and K:Ca ratios for plants from the experimental site were higher and Ca:P ratio was lower than those of the control site. Analysis of ruminal content of the affected sheep revealed higher K:Ca + Mg, K:P, and Ca:P ratios than those of the control sheep. Due to the close relationship of metabolism of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium, evidence of the existance of their imbalances in feeds and forages of the affected farm possibly contributing to the causation of the pathologic calcification of soft tissues of the sheep has been presented.