Trace elements in cattle (& sheep) Flashcards
List some deficiency elements
Selenium
Cobalt
Zinc
Iodine
List some toxic elements
Copper
Selenium
Iodine
Cobalt
Lead
Sway back is caused by a deficiency in?
Copper
Selenium deficiency causes which disease?
White muscle disease
Iodine deficiency causes?
Weak neonates
List some sources of trace elements
- Grass
- Forages
- Straight feed materials
- Compound feeds (complete & complementary)
- Blends (supplemented or not)
- In-feed minerals
- Pasture & soil
- Concentrates
Which group of animals are least at risk of trace element deficiencies?
Dairy cows receiving concentrates
Maximum Permitted Levels of minerals in complete diet were established for additives assessed to be a safety risk to?
Animals
Consumers
Environment
Users
Where is copper stored in the body?
Liver
Copper toxicity leads to?
Haemolytic crisis - jaundice and death
Describe genetic susceptibility to deficiency & toxicity in the following sheep breeds:
1. Texel
2. North Ronaldsey
3. Scottish blackface
- susceptible to Toxicity but not deficiency
- very sensitive to toxicity
- susceptible to deficiency but not toxicity
Which of the following silages has the most and least copper availability:
- Grass silage
- Maize silage
- Whole crop silage
- Grass silage = LEAST
- Maize silage = MOST
- Whole crop silage
What are the clinical signs of iron induced low copper status?
No clinical signs
How can you assess liver copper status?
- Liver from cull cows
- Liver biopsy
Describe how you would carry out a liver biopsy in a cow
Very easy and safe
R flank
Biopsy needle
Rib space 11
By what methods can copper be supplemented?
- Pasture dressings
- S/C injections
- Intra-ruminal bolus
How might over supplementation of copper occur in ruminants?
- Multiple supplementary feeds
- Compound feeds
- Supplemented blends
- Free access minerals
- Licks
- Boluses
- Drenches: anthelmintics may contain trace elements
What are the effects of zinc deficiency?
- Congenital abnormalities
- Immune function effects: endometritis, mastitis
- Hoof, horn and hair integrity
- Teat keratin plug
What are the effects of selenium deficiency?
- White muscle disease
- Ill thrift
- Retained placenta
- Impaired immune function
- Poor fertility
- Affected thyroid function
What are the acute and chronic effects of selenium toxicity?
- Acute = blind staggers
- Chronic = alkali disease - dull, lack of vitality, rough coat, hair loss, sloughing of hooves, lame, sudden death
Iodine has a vital role in the function of?
The thyroid gland
What are the effects of iodine deficiency in cattle?
Reproductive symptoms
- Lowered conception rates, irregular oestrus/anoestrus
- Retained placenta
- Cystic ovaries
- Abortions
- Still births, birth of weak and/or hairless calves (thyroid in fetus)
- Loss of libido in males
How is cobalt used in the body?
As cobalamin (vitamin B12)
What are the clinical signs of cobalt deficiency?
Develop over weeks/months
- Poor appetite
- Reduced growth
- Anaemia
- Skin thins with poor hair quality
How is cobalt deficiency diagnosed?
Utilised mainly as Cobalamin (Vitamin B12) - No point measuring blood Cobalt
Milk B12
Liver B12
