Urea Poisoning in Cattle
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Questions and Answers

What is the primary function of urea in feed supplements?

  • To provide protein to the animal
  • To reduce the amount of nitrogen in the rumen
  • To increase the amount of ammonia in the blood
  • To synthesise protein through rumen microflora (correct)

    • What happens to the ammonia released in the rumen if the rumen organisms cannot metabolize it?

  • It is excreted by the kidneys
  • It is converted back to urea in the liver
  • It is stored in the rumen for later use
  • It is absorbed into the blood and causes poisoning (correct)

    • What is the most common way to diagnose urea poisoning?

  • Through observation of the animal's behavior
  • Through laboratory tests of blood samples
  • Through post-mortem examination
  • Through history of access to urea and signs shown by live animals (correct)

    • What is a common sign of urea poisoning in cattle?

    <p>Twitching of ears and facial muscles</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What can cause urea to separate out from the supplement after transport?

    <p>Moisture in the supplement</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a common indicator of urea poisoning?

    <p>History of access to urea</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the result of the pathway of ammonia and urea in the body being overwhelmed?

    <p>Excess ammonia and urea circulate in the blood, causing poisoning</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the timeframe for urea poisoning to occur after consumption?

    <p>A few minutes to four hours</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary reason for measuring blood ammonia levels in both unaffected and sick animals?

    <p>To rule out non-specific elevation due to storage</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is it crucial to freeze rumen fluid immediately after collection and keep it frozen until tested?

    <p>To preserve the ammonia levels</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic finding during post-mortem examination of animals that have died from urea poisoning?

    <p>Pulmonary oedema with excess stable white foam in the large airways</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of an alkaline rumen (pH greater than 7.5-8) in suspected urea poisoning?

    <p>It is suggestive of urea poisoning</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary purpose of including formalin-fixed sections of rumen and reticulum in the diagnosis of urea poisoning?

    <p>To assist in the diagnosis of urea poisoning</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the recommended treatment for urea poisoning in cattle?

    <p>Drenching the animal with a large volume of cold water and 5% acetic acid or vinegar</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why may treatment for urea poisoning need to be repeated within 24 hours?

    <p>To prevent relapses</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of histopathological changes in the rumen and reticulum of animals that survive the initial poisoning but die or are euthanised a day or two later?

    <p>They are indicative of inflammatory changes</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the recommended daily intake of urea for a 400 kg cow?

    <p>0.1 g/kg body weight</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary reason blood ammonia levels are not a useful diagnostic test in dead animals?

    <p>Proteins in the blood break down rapidly after death and produce ammonia</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the maximum percentage of the total nitrogen intake that should be NPN in cattle?

    <p>1/3</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the likely consequence of feeding a 400 kg cow 600 g of urea per day?

    <p>Severe bloat and potentially fatal consequences</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the minimum recommended percentage of urea in the total feed intake?

    <p>1%</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary purpose of keeping rumen and reticulum samples in formalin?

    <p>To preserve the samples for subsequent diagnosis</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the typical post-mortem sign of urea poisoning in cattle?

    <p>Bloat; white foam in airways; ammonia odour</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the maximum percentage of the concentrate ration that should be urea?

    <p>3%</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary mechanism by which native cellular prion protein is converted into the infectious state?

    <p>Deformation of native prion protein into the infectious state through an exponential cascade</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the characteristic microscopic appearance of the brain in animals affected by BSE?

    <p>Holes in the brain</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is a common systemic sign of BSE in cattle?

    <p>Anorexia</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary method of diagnosing BSE?

    <p>Examination of post-mortem brain tissue</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term for the abnormal prion protein that causes BSE?

    <p>PrPSc</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is ataxia, as observed in cattle with BSE?

    <p>Loss of coordination</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the incubation period of BSE?

    <p>Months to years</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a possible origin of BSE in cattle?

    <p>Evolution from a spontaneous form of 'mad cow disease'</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary method of diagnosis for the disease?

    <p>Histopathological examination</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the sensitivity of the detection method described in 2010?

    <p>One part in a hundred billion (10−11)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of import control and feeding regulations in disease-free countries?

    <p>To prevent the spread of the disease</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the classification of the brain, spinal cord, and other tissues from cattle in the UK?

    <p>Specified risk materials</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the result of banning the feeding of cattle meat and bone meal?

    <p>A decrease in cases of the disease</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What technology is used in combination with amplification to detect PrPSc?

    <p>Surround Optical Fiber Immunoassay (SOFIA)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Urea Poisoning in Cattle

    • Urea poisoning, also known as ammonia poisoning, is a common toxicity in cattle in the Top End.
    • Urea is used as a source of non-protein nitrogen (NPN) in feed supplements, which can be metabolized by rumen microflora to synthesize protein.
    • Excess consumption of urea can lead to ammonia poisoning, causing rapid death within a few minutes to four hours.

    Causes of Urea Poisoning

    • Excess consumption of urea
    • Sudden introduction to high quantities of urea
    • Irregular consumption of urea
    • Wet supplement containing urea
    • Urea separating out from the supplement after transport

    Signs of Urea Poisoning

    • Twitching of ears and facial muscles
    • Grinding of the teeth, frothy salivation
    • Bloat, abdominal pain
    • Frequent urination, forced rapid breathing
    • Weakness, staggering, violent struggling and bellowing, and terminal spasms

    Diagnosis and Laboratory Testing

    • History of access to urea and signs shown by live, affected animals are the most useful diagnostic indicators
    • Laboratory tests of blood samples are not very helpful, and no specific changes are seen at post-mortem examination
    • Laboratory testing of collected blood and rumen fluid immediately after death may indicate urea poisoning
    • Post-mortem examination: bloat, white foam in airways, ammonia odour when the rumen is opened, rumen pH 7.5-8.0
    • Recommended feeding quantity: 35 g of urea per day for a 400 kg cow (approximately 0.1 g/kg body weight)
    • Tolerance is decreased by starvation and by a low protein, high fibre diet
    • Urea should provide no more than 3% of the concentrate ration, or 1% of the total feed intake, and no more than one third of the total nitrogen intake should be NPN

    Treatment

    • Rarely effective, but if cattle can be handled, a stomach tube can be passed to relieve the bloat and then used to drench the animal with a large volume of cold water and 5% acetic acid or vinegar
    • Treatment may need to be repeated within 24 hours, as relapses can occur

    BSE (Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy)

    • A type of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE)
    • Transmission can occur when healthy animals come in contact with tainted tissues from others with the disease
    • In the brain, these proteins cause native cellular prion protein to deform into the infectious state, leading to protein aggregates, degeneration of physical and mental abilities, and ultimately death

    Signs of BSE

    • Cows affected by BSE are usually apart from the herd and will show progressively deteriorating behavioural and neurological signs
    • Increase in aggression
    • Cattle will react excessively to noise or touch and will slowly become ataxic
    • Systemic signs of disease, such as a drop in milk production, anorexia, and lethargy are present

    Diagnosis of BSE

    • Diagnosis is a practical problem, with an incubation period of months to years
    • Traditional method of diagnosis relies on histopathological examination of the medulla oblongata of the brain and other tissues, post-mortem
    • Immunohistochemistry can be used to demonstrate prion protein accumulation

    Control of BSE

    • Ban on feeding cattle meat and bone meal has resulted in a reduction in cases in countries where the disease was present
    • In disease-free countries, control relies on import control, feeding regulations, and surveillance measures
    • Specified risk materials (brain, spinal cord, trigeminal ganglia, intestines, eyes, and tonsils) from cattle must be disposed of appropriately at the abattoir.

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    Related Documents

    Urea poisoning.docx

    Description

    Learn about urea poisoning, also known as ammonia poisoning, in cattle, its causes, and effects on ruminants. Urea is used as a source of non-protein nitrogen in feed supplements.

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