LEAD POISONING IN CATTLE.

Putaruru Press, Volume IV, Issue 122, 4 March 1926, Page 7

LEAD POISONING IN CATTLE.

SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT. Lead salts are sweet to the taste, and are relished by cattle. ' When given a chance they will lick it out of old paint cans and chew old paant brushes, sometimes thrown carelessly into the cattle yard. They will also lick freshly painted surfaces and bite the paint from window panes. Knowing these things great care should be taken to keep cattle from places where they may pick up lead in any form.

Young calves ave particularly susceptible and ever> precaution should be taken to keep lead in any condition out of their reach.

The poisoning from lead may taka either an acute or chronic form. Paralysis is one of the results of lead poisoning, but it is distinguished by previous ill-doing, hidebound, thirst, and often constipation, or the opposite condition of diarrhoea. In the acute or severe form the animal seems as if attacked by stomach staggers. In other instances the cow soon goes down and becomes unconscious, as if •affected.- witlr- ~.. JBeRo-wins may precede the.-.e symptoms and the animal may chainn its jaws, salivate, show twitching of muscles, and diarrhoea. In the chrome form, derangement is apparent, co.icky strains may occur, mysterious lameness or stiffness and symptoms suggestive of rickets are seen, and the animal finally may become paralysed. A blue line on the margin of the gums has been highly suggestive of chronic lead poisoning, but it is not always present.

When lead poisoning is diagnosed the first thing will be to stop all sources of supply so that the animal will be unable to absorb any more of the poisonous element. Then it will be necessary to eliminate as far as possible any of the metal or its salts within the animal. An oily purgative, such as 1 pint of linseed oil should be given with one ounce of tincture of ginger or other ° stimulant. A small quantity of sulphuric acid very diluted with water and daily doses of 2ozs of sulphate of magnesia in water are given to eliminate gradually the undesirable element. A veterinary surgeon should be called as soon as possible so that he can give such treatment, or follow it with appropriate remedies according to the symptoms he finds present. For instance, iodide of potassium sometimes proves beneficial when given in the case of lead poisoning. But prevention is of supreme importance, for treatment rarely succeeds when acute poisoning has occurred.