Exam 2 Flashcards
How much copper do pennies made before 1983 have? What about after 1983?
90% and after 1983, they were mostly made of zinc.
What are the main sources of copper in food animals? What about small animals and exotics?
Feed and mineral mixes designed for cattle, poultry and swine….the sheep eat this and then get sick. In small animals, the main source is coins.
What are the gross pathological findings in an animal with copper toxicity?
Kidney: Acute, severe tubular nephrosis with hemoglobin casts due to intravascular hemolysis.
Liver: Acute, severe hepatocellular necrosis
Are chronic or acute exposures to copper more common? What is the route of exposure?
Chronic
Oral
What disease is associated with copper toxicity that has nothing to do with excessive amounts of copper?
Autosomal recessive copper storage disease
What will bind to copper, slow down its absorption and enhance its excretion in the bile?
Molybdenum and sulfur
What ratio of copper in the diet can lead to chronic problems with toxicity?
6-10:1
If there is a group of sheep exhibiting copper toxicity signs, the source of the toxicity is likely to be ________. If it is a single animal,, it is likely to be ________.
Primary
Secondary
Where is excess copper stored and excreted?
In the lysosomes and mitochondria of the liver. It is excreted in the bile bound to Mo and S.
What triggers copper to be released from the liver and what can it cause?
Stress stimulates the hepatoceullular cells to excrete copper which causes necrosis and elevated serum Cu leading to hemolysis (intra and extra)
If a group of sheep are experiencing copper toxicosis, when will the clinical signs show up?
They will show up abruptly and sporadically with nonspecific production losses occurring before severe signs
In small animals, how do the clinical signs typically show up for copper toxicity?
Chronic exposure with repeated bouts of hepatitis is most common to see. The acute condition is rare.
After running diagnostics on an animal with suspected copper toxicity, what will you see?
- Increased serum levels of GGT and AST
- Anemia due to hemolysis
- Hemoglobinemia/uria
- Hyperbilirubinemia/uria
- Methemoglobinema
On necropsy, you notice the liver is pale and enlarged, there is an distended gallbladder, and there is icteric, gun metal kidneys…this is a sheep. What toxin do you suspect?
Copper
What would you see on histopathy with copper toxicity?
Liver: Hepatic necrosis with varying patterns, pigment accumulation within kupffer cells, and sometimes won’t see any lesions if it is a chronic production case in large animals.
Kidney: Acute degeneration and necrosis with cast formation
Would collecting copper serum level help you out when trying to diagnose copper toxicity? Why/why not?
NO, copper accumulates in the liver, so it better to do a biopsy and histopath to asses copper concentration in the liver
What are the main components of an animals body that are adversely affected by copper toxicosis?
- GIT
- Liver
- RBC
- Kidney
How would you treat a small animal that is clinically affected by copper toxicity?
- Give liver protectants for a few weeks
- Corticosteroids
- Analgestics
- Give them a Mo-S sources
- Give them szinc
- Give them tetrathiomolybdate which is a chelator
List the most important liver protectants (6) you can give an animal?
- SAMe
- N-acetylcycsteine
- Milk Thistle
- Ursodiol
- Vitamine E
- Selenium
What is tetrathiomolybdate?
It is a copper chelator, very expensive but effective
Which breeds tend to suffer from copper storage diseases?
Dobermans
SKye terriers
Labradors
T/F: You will not see hepatocellular damage with hemolysis in a dog with a copper storage disease, but will see chronic bouts of intermittent hepatitis.
T
How would you treat a dog with a copper storage disease?
Zinc acetate and tridentine
What determines if a mycotoxin is produced (6) ?
- Mold genetics
- Substrate
- Temperature
- O2 concentration
- Mousture-huminidty
- Pre-existing damage to feed