Oak leaf (Quercus pyrenaica) poisoning in cattle

Abstract

Three experiments were conducted to study the clinical and pathological findings associated with poisoning in cattle due to ingestion of young oak leaves (OL) and the main factors responsible for toxicosis. In Experiment 1, six 1.4 year-old bulls were fed up to 5 kg of young OL per animal per day and showed no signs of toxicity, apart from a slight proteinuria. In Experiment 2, another six 1.4 year-old bulls were first subjected to severe feed restriction for eight days and then fed a higher amount of OL (approx. 10 kg) daily. A marked increase of serum creatinine and blood urea (BUN) was detected in urine as well as clinical signs consistent with renal failure. At necropsy, animals showed gastrointestinal ulcers and kidney tubular necrosis. Since these results suggested a crucial role of the feed restricting period, a third experiment was conducted administering the same amount of young OL as in Experiment 1, but adding the severe feed restricting period as in Experiment 2. There was a wide variation in clinical signs, with one bull showing clinical signs and lesions, another recovering after showing mild clinical signs and high levels of creatinine and BUN, and the third appearing clinically normal. The relevance of restriction access to food in the development of OL toxicosis appears to be critical because the intoxication was only elicited when the OL administration was preceded by a severe feed restricting period.