Salt toxicity occurs worldwide in poultry species of all ages but usually young. It is caused by the consumption of feed or water with too high level of NaCl.
- Causes of Salt toxicity >
- Effects of Salt toxicity >
- Diagnosis of Salt toxicity >
- Treatment & Control of Salt toxicity >
Causes of Salt toxicity
All species of bird - or all ages, but young in particular, are susceptible to his acute to chronic disease. The agent involved in the aetiology of the disease is NaC1.
The consumption of feed or water with too high a level of NaC1. Feed normally contains 0.85% and 0.12% salt water, which equals 1200 ppm.
Mode of transmission
Ingestion of food or water with high salt. About 1% causes diseases and clinical results in about 10% feed refusal.
Some water fowl have salt glands to excrete excess Na +.
Effects of Salt toxicity
Signs include increased thirst, dehydration, crop filled with water, dyspnoea, depression, watery diarrhea, Stunting, feed refusal, nervous signs rough and dirty, wet feathers or down.
Post mortem lesions
Lesions include ascites (water belly), excess fluid in lungs, liver atrophied, enteritis, hydropericardium, right side cardiac (Biventricular) hypertrophy, nephritis, cystic Dilation of seminiferous tubules and gonadal and skeletal and myocardial haemorrhage.
Diagnosis of Salt toxicity
Diagnosis is by feed analysis. Salt can be tasted in the feed or water (about 2%). Clinical signs and gross lesions are suggestive of salt toxicity.
Ultrastructure changes in the heart muscle include myofibrillar disarrangement and disruption of intercalated discs.
It Simulates Crotalaria toxicity and ascites.
Treatment & Control of Salt toxicity
Prevention
Spot check of feed or water will help prevent this disease. May requires filtration or well water.
Spot check of feed or water will help prevent this disease. May requires filtration or well water.
Treatment
Fresh feed water will stop or reverse the disease and clinical signs within 24 hours. It is a common feed milling problem.
