Thanks for the good work of educating us on dairy farming. I am a dairy farmer and have some concerns. The other day, something tragic happened to my six-month-old calf. My wife and I are the workers in our farms. One day, we attended a funeral in the afternoon and left enough feeds for the zero grazed dairy cows and two calves.
The following day, I spent the whole day with the animals but realised a bit late that the calf was not fine. The next day it was dead and when I called the local vet, he did a postmortem and said the animal died of water intoxication. I give my animals the same water I drink and I do not understand why the same water became toxic. Kindly educate me on water intoxication. [Cyrus Ndung’u, Maragua]
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Yes, your veterinary doctor was very right about the diagnosis. Good water can kill animals through water intoxication.
What is water intoxication?
Water intoxication occurs when an animal drinks a lot of water than is required by the biological system. It is a deadly condition that results when dehydrated animals drink too much water so quickly affecting electrolyte balance and subsequently osmotic balance of body fluids. The result is that more water goes into the system than the system can remove affecting the brain and kidney functions. Cattle for example are supposed to drink 1.5 per cent of its body weight daily.
Which animals are affected?
It is common in hot weather conditions, following a lot of exercising like running around. Diarrhoea and fever have also been documented as predisposing factors. When the above conditions are prevailing water intoxication follows because farm animals and more so those under zero grazing are normally on unlimited access to water. Water intoxication occurs in sheep, dogs, pigs, camels and cattle. The condition is common in calves, especially bucket fed ones when they are given lots of bucket water and also by the fact that calves have a relatively large stomach space to hold water.
Signs and symptoms
Common signs of water intoxication include red or bloody urine due to breakdown of red blood cells, shaking of muscles all over the body, reduced body temperature, excess salivation, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, standing hair, swollen eyelids weakness and repeated opening and closing of eyes.
In severe cases, death occurs between one to two days if the condition is not managed by an animal health profession. In mild cases, the animal gets back to normal status within four hours without veterinary intervention.
Treatment and prevention
Fortunately, water intoxication is a treatable condition. The vet needs to play around with osmotic pressure to rid the body off excess fluid. In mild conditions, 5 per cent saline is used while in severe conditions 5per cent dextrose saline and tranquilisers are used. Avoid unlimited access to water by animals initially denied of the same. Knowledge of the disease increases the farmer’s risk perception and hence quick veterinary intervention. Animals in drought conditions, those in poor body condition or calves are at risk categories.
-The writer is Vet of the Year Award winner and works in the Division of Communication and Vet Advisory Services within the Directorate of Veterinary Services
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Yes, your veterinary doctor was very right about the diagnosis. Good water can kill animals through water intoxication
water intoxication
Water intoxication, also known as water poisoning, hyperhydration, overhydration, water toxemia or hyponatremia is a potentially fatal disturbance in brain functions that can result when the normal balance of electrolytes in the body is pushed outside safe limits by excessive water intake.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Water_intoxication
When too much water is consumed, this causes the blood to become too 'watery' and lose its 'saltiness'. This causes the red blood cells responsible for carrying oxygen to burst. The brain also starts to absorb too much water from the blood and can swell.
Signs: hemoglobinuria and neurological signs. Diagnosis: history (water deprivation followed by unlimited access to water) and neurological signs. Treatment: usually no intervention for mild to moderate cases. Intravenous hypertonic saline and furosemide can be given in severe cases.
By two months of age — Calves should be drinking 10 to 12 quarts (2.5 to 3 gallons) of water a day. Calves will drink more in hot weather — Water consumption may go up by 33% or more when temperatures reach the high 70s and low 80s, and may double when temperatures pass 90 F.
Water plays essential roles in hydrating a calf and also in rumen development. Baby calves are on a liquid diet, so it may seem that offering water is not necessary, but that is not true. Offering water separate from milk will increase weight gains by increasing dry feed intake.
It is also important to pay attention to the body condition of milk-fed calves. Calves that are receiving too little milk would be expected to carry little body condition and appear skinny, while those receiving too much milk will carry a lot of body condition and appear rounded over their withers, topline, and hips.
The calf needs 5.2 L of fluid for rehydration. Rehydration fluids are administered after a 5 gm bolus of IV dextrose and 150 ml ( 4-5 ml/kg bw) ofhypertonic saline solution is given to the calf over a five-minute period.
The symptoms of water intoxication can be vague , or unspecific— they can include confusion, disorientation, nausea, and vomiting. In rare cases, water intoxication can cause swelling in the brain and become fatal.
Moving and using the muscles in the part of the body that's swollen, especially the legs, might help move fluid back toward the heart. A health care provider can talk about exercises that might reduce swelling. Raise. Hold the swollen part of the body above the level of the heart several times a day.
By 3 days of age, baby calves should be provided water free-choice in addition to their calf starter and milk or reconstituted milk replacer. Depending on the environmental temperatures and calf health, young calves may drink a quart or more of water daily. As temperatures increase, calves will drink more water.
Calves should be fed daily approximately 10% of their birth body weight (1 quart of milk weighs 2 pounds). For example, a Holstein calf weighing 90 pounds at birth would be fed 4.5 quarts (9 pints) of milk daily or 2.25 quarts per feeding when fed twice daily.
Although it may be tempting to provide ice-cold water on a hot summer day, this can negatively impact water intake. Studies show that both calves and cows prefer to drink water that is 60-80°F, even in the summertime. Lastly, be sure to offer enough water. Calves should not routinely be drinking their water bucket dry.
Water intoxication is a relatively well-known disorder in calves, which occurs when calves are exposed to ad libitum access to water after a certain period of restriction9). The condition is characterized by transient hemoglobinuria and hemoglobinemia.
The cattle are dehydrated and consume an excessive amount of water. Electrolyte balance in the body is disrupted and water intoxication occurs and can be fatal. In cases of acute water intoxication, dead cattle will be found near the watering site.
These calves will still have a suckle reflex, which can be tested by placing two fingers in a calf's mouth to see if they will suck. Mild dehydration can be treated with oral fluids such as an electrolyte solution and have a high likelihood of a full recovery.
When you drink too much water, your electrolyte levels drop and the balance is compromised. Low electrolyte levels can cause symptoms like muscle spasms and cramping.
The two most common ways to administer electrolytes are through oral fluids, using a nipple bottle or esophageal tube feeder, and intravenous fluid therapy (IV). While giving a calf an IV is efficient and effective in a severe dehydration case, it does take specific skills, equipment and supplies.
Introduction: My name is Merrill Bechtelar CPA, I am a clean, agreeable, glorious, magnificent, witty, enchanting, comfortable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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