Defatted rice bran poisoning in cattle

Defatted rice bran (DRB) causes a dermatitis in cattle that affects mainly the distal hindlimbs. Outbreaks of poisoning by DRB have been reported in both dairy and beef cattle in Brazil and Uruguay, with morbidity varying from 10 % to 100 %. The objectives of this study were: (1) to reproduce DRB poisoning by determining the maximum dose that can be fed safely without compromising animal welfare; (2) to carry out a retrospective study of the outbreaks diagnosed by the Regional Diagnostic Laboratory of the Veterinary School, Federal University of Pelotas; and (3) to study the epidemiology and pathogenesis of the disease. For experimental reproduction, 14 female Holstein-Jersey crossbred cattle aged between 22 and 32 months were used. They were supplemented daily with DRB at inclusion rates of 0.5 %, 1 % and 2 % of bodyweight (BW) on a dry matter basis, with and without prior adaptation, until the first evidence of clinical signs. Two cattle that received native pasture without DRB supplementation were used as controls. DRB supplementation caused skin lesions at inclusion rates of 1.8-2 % of BW and the results indicated that it could be added to the basal diet at up to 0.5 % of BW without compromising animal welfare. The pathogenesis of DRB poisoning is likely to be associated with type IV hypersensitivity due to the presence of increased numbers of T lymphocytes within the lesions.