SODIUM ION TOXICITY

Internal Medicine

Manish Ghimire
BVSc and AH
7th Sem
Roll no. 19
Introduction
• Excessive sodium chloride intake lead to sodium ion toxicosis
• Occur when sodium –regulating mechanism failure to maintain
normal sodium concentration
• Clinical signs varies between species and between acute and chronic
exposure
• Include depression, weakness, muscle tremor, gastroenteritis, ataxia
Epidemiology
• Reported in all species of animals worldwide
• More common in swine ( most susceptible), cattle, poultry
• Increasing reports of adverse effects in dogs
• Water deprivation ( salt poisoning) occur in hot and cold weather
Etiology
• Salt in feed rations, salt licks
• Mixing error in oral electrolytes or milk replacers
• Overdose in salt containing supplement
• Extreme hot and cold weather
• Salt water pond ,ditches
Pathogenesis
• Sodium is major contributor to osmolarity of extracellular fluid and
increase sodium ion will increase plasma osmolarity
• Sodium causes cellular dehydration and vascular overload
• In CNS, this causes vascular stasis, thrombosis, brain shrinkage and
haemorrhage
Clinical signs
• Signs varies within species and duration of exposure
• Include depression, weakness, ataxia, muscle tremors,
gastroenteritis and seizures like activity
• In pigs, early signs may be increased thirst, pruritus and
constipation
• Affected pigs may be blind, deaf and unaware of
surrounding
• Wander aimlessly, bump into objects, terminally pig lie in
sides, paddling in coma within 48 hours
• In cattle, involve GI tract and CNS
Clinical signs cont’d..
• Increased thirst, signs of abdominal pain, diarrhoea, blindness,
seizures and partial paralysis
• Excess sodium salt intake in dogs results in vomiting within several
hours after ingestion
• Neurological signs appear on excess salt intake
Diagnosis
• History, clinical signs, excess sodium ion concentration ion serum and
CSF
• Serum and CSF concentration of sodium > 160 mEq/L
• Brain sodium ion concentration > 2,000 ppm is considered diagnostic
in cattle and swine
• Others include post mortem findings and analysis of offered feed and
water, or suspect material for sodium content
Differential diagnosis
• Differential diagnosis includes insecticide poisoning (organochloride,
organophosphate, carbamates)
• Phenyl arsenic poisoning and pseudorabies
• In cattle, differential diagnosis includes lead poisoning,
polioencephalomalcia , hypomagnesemic tetany
• Nervous form of ketosis
Treatment
• Evaluation of animals hydration and electrolytes status, restoring
animals normal balance of electrolytes
• No specific treatment of sodium ion toxicosis
• Immediate removal of offending feed, water or suspect material
• Fresh water should be provided
• Severely affected animals can be given water via stomach tube
• Emetics can be given in dogs of known ingestion occurs
Treatment cond..
• Use of slightly hypertonic IV fluids to reduce cerebral edema
developing
• IV fluid should made to approximately the serum concentration of
animal
• Seizure should be controlled with diazepam
• Mannitol, dexamethasone, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) may be helpful
Prevention and Control
• Daily routine to check all water sources are free flowing and available
• Ensure animal have access to fresh water at all times
• Severely affected animals may need to give water via stomach tube
• Mix proper amount of sodium salts in concentration
• Salt supplement should not given in large amount