Arsenic

Arsenic is a widely distributed environmental pollutant that gets released into the environment through industrial processes and agricultural usage. Arsenic contamination of groundwater is an important cause of poisoning in many countries including India, and most cases of arsenic exposure are associated with intake of contaminated water. Chronic ingestion of arsenic contaminated drinking water is associated with skin lesions like spotted melanosis, hyperkeratosis, leucomelanosis, rain drop depigmentation, gangrenous extremities, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, cognitive impairments as well as cancers of different organs.

Clinical signs: Signs of arsenic toxicity in cattle vary from gastrointestinal to nervous signs. In acute cases, abdominal pain, restlessness, respiratory distress, grinding, ruminal stasis, even vomition are seen. Increased heart rate, dehydration and oliguria are the common manifestations of arsenic toxicity. Chronic arsenic toxicity is mostly manifested in weight loss, capricious appetite, conjunctival and mucosal erythema, bucal ulceration and reduced milk yield in cows.