THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF CHRONIC COPPER POISONING IN 4-WEEK-OLDTO 12-WEEK-OLD SINGLE-SUCKLED CALVES

Twenty-four 4- to 12-week-old spring-born suckled calves showed clinic al signs of depression and jaundice, suggestive of copper poisoning. T he clinical diagnosis was confirmed by postmortem examinations, demons tration of kidney copper concentrations elevated above the normal rang e in all cases and knowledge of potential sources of copper. The preva lence of suspected copper toxicity was approximately sk times greater in Aberdeen Angus calves (32.3%) than in Charolais calves (5.5%), desp ite management as one group. Five of nine calves recovered following a treatment regimen of 70 mg/kg intravenous sodium calcium edetate on 2 consecutive days. Six of nine carves recovered following treatment wi th a regimen including 2.7 mg/kg intravenous ammonium tetrathiomolybda te on 3 alternate days. In the seven carves which died after treatment , there was gross postmortem evidence of severe hepatic damage and a p revious hemolytic crisis.