Bakar u ishrani malih preživara: veterinarsko iskustvo - prikaz slučaja

Abstract

Copper (Cu) is an essential mineral trace element required by small ruminants as well as all other animals. In small ruminants nutrition, Cu level is receiving more attention as a result of the potential poisoning concerns in sheep and a deficiency concern in goats. Clinical Cu poisoning in sheep is characterized by massive hemolysis with subsequent hemoglobinemia and hemoglobinuria due to oxidative damage from the Cu ion released into the bloodstream. In our case poisoning in sheep was caused by using unsuitable mineral supplement (intended for pigs) within an intensive nutrition with concentrate in which unsuitable mineral supplement was added. Main sign was intensive jaundice in individual animals and deaths during several weeks in spring months. Infectious causes of hemoglobinuria were excluded by laboratory examinations and diagnoses were confirmed by high Cu concetration in liver samples. Copper deficiency can be caused by low intake or by high concentration of molybdenum, sulfur and iron in feed. In goat, deficiency is most often as subclinical case. Signs of copper deficiency are not specific, they include microcytic anemia, depressed milk production, lighter or faded hair color, poor quality fleeces, lower fertility etc. In our report a case of one goat herd is shown where subfertility and anemia were dominant clinical signs. Deficiency was caused by using sheep mineral supplement in insufficient quantity.