Chronic fluorosis in cattle due to the ingestion of a commercial lick.
A year after introduction of a lick known to contain a commercial phosphorous source intended for agronomical purposes, approximately 2% adult cattle, from a herd numbering 120 animals, were observed to show signs of lameness. Four years later, this prevalence had increased to 5%, but teeth abnormalities were evident in 70-80% of animals. The average fluoride concentration of 5 coccygeal bone samples from 4-year-old animals was 6.94 x 10(3) mg kg-1. A lick sample had a fluoride concentration of 1.4 x 10(3) mg kg-1. A water and pasture sample contained 0.03 ppm and 0.3 ppm fluoride respectively. These values suggested that the lick was responsible for the clinical signs of chronic fluororis in the herd.
Department of Veterinary Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, Republic of South Africa.
W A
WA
Schultheiss
G A
GA
Godley
D000821:Animal Feed / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D003050:Coccyx / Q000737:chemistry; D005459:Fluorides / Q000032:analysis; D009050:Fluorosis, Dental / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012621:Seasons; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology
D005459:Fluorides