Sodium fluoride/copper naphthenate toxicosis in cattle

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Toxicology
• Animal Pathology

Background:

• Wood preservatives are common in agricultural settings.
• Ingestion of toxic compounds can lead to significant animal morbidity and mortality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the cause of death in cattle that ingested a wood preservative.
• To determine the toxicological effects of sodium fluoride and copper naphthenate in cattle.

Main Methods:

• Postmortem examination of affected cattle.
• Histopathological evaluation of tissues, focusing on renal and gastrointestinal lesions.
• Analysis of tissue fluoride and copper concentrations.

Main Results:

• Clinical signs included depression, anorexia, ataxia, diarrhea, and recumbency.
• Gross lesions included perirenal edema, pale kidneys, and forestomach ulceration.
• Renal cortical tubular necrosis was observed in all evaluated cows; elevated fluoride levels confirmed sodium fluoride toxicity, leading to renal failure.

Conclusions:

• Sodium fluoride in the wood preservative was the primary cause of renal tubular necrosis and subsequent kidney failure in cattle.
• Copper naphthenate may have contributed to forestomach ulceration, but evidence suggests limited copper absorption from the gastrointestinal tract.