Differential diagnosis
- Leptospirosis
- Postparturient hemoglobinemia
- Babesiosis


Etiology
- Accidental administration of excessive amounts of
  soluble copper salts
- Phytogenous chronic poisoning due to ingestion
  of plant
- Hepatogenous chronic poisoning
- Dietary trace element imbalance


1. History taking
- Sheep are more susceptible than cattle
- Young calves are susceptible; but as they mature,
  their tolerance increase


2. Clinical examination
Acute poisoning:
- Vomition
- Excessive salivation
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Shock
- Chronic poisoning:
- Hemolytic crisis
- Weak
- Trembles
- Anorectic
- Hemoglobinuria
- Hemoglobinemia
- Icterus


3. Necropsy
- Severe gastroenteritis
- Discolored tissue
- Blue green ingesta
- Generalized icterus

- Enlarged gunmetal-colored kidney
- Slightly enlarged, friable yellowish liver
- Distended gall bladder with thick, greenish brown
  bile
- Enlarged spleen with brown to black parenchyma
  of blackberry jam consistency


4. Histopathological observation
- Liver shows periacinar necrosis due to hypoxemia
- Intravascular hemolysis
- Numerous golden brown refractile granular in most
  hepatocytes and darker pigment in Kupffer cells


5. Blood analysis
Specimen : blood
Method : AAS
- Normal level in blood = 70-130 μg/dl (sheep)
- Hematology : RBC (↓↓), PCV (↓↓),
  hemoglobin (↓↓), methemoglobin (↑)


6. Dietary analysis
Specimen : feed
Method : AAS
- Normal level in feed = 25 ppm (sheep)


7. Tissue analysis
Specimen : liver, kidney
Method : AAS
- Normal level in sheep
liver < 200 ppm
kidney < 80 ppm


Control and treatment
- No effective treatment
- Effective control in sheep by the subcutaneous
  injection of ammonium tetrathiomolybdate
- Discontinue the practice of adding copper to sheep
  feeds
- Plant eradication