Prevention and treatment of urea poisoning in deer

Urea is a non-protein nitrogenous fertilizer widely used in agriculture. It has been widely used to feed deer with urea or ammonium salt added to diet as a substitute for protein. However, too much urea in the diet or uneven mixing, or grazing in the urea fertilizer area by mistake, can cause poisoning.

Urea and many non-protein nitrogen compounds are good protein substitutes and are often used as feed additives, such as urea, biuret and diammonium phosphate. But feeding too much or method is not when, can produce a lot of ammonia, ammonia for the body is a substance against the nervous system, can lead to poisoning.

[Symptoms]: Deer can get sick 0.5-1 hour after eating urea. Deer disease early performance restlessness, moaning, salivation, muscle tremors, body shaking, gait instability. Then repeated spasms, breathing difficulties, pulse per minute can be increased to more than 100 times, from the nasal cavity and mouth out of foam-like liquid. End stage convulsions, sweating, nystagmus, flaccid anus, death within hours.

[Prevention]: Formulate strict urea storage system to prevent deer from eating urea by mistake, and stop using urea that is rained or deliquesced; urea should not be mixed with soybean and bean cake to avoid urea being destroyed; when urea is used as feed additive, strictly control the dosage. For adult deer weighing 500 kg, the dosage is 100-150 g per day. Urea should be mixed with feed and should not be dissolved in water or fed alone. No drinking water should be allowed within 2 hours after feeding. If dietary protein is sufficient, urea should not be added. Carbamide should not be used for young deer.

[Treatment]: The best way to treat urea poisoning is to take a large amount of cold water and a weak acid solution such as vinegar or dilute acetic acid. 500ml of 1% acetic acid, 250- 500g of sugar, 500ml of normal water, or 500ml of vinegar, 500ml of water, once orally taken. When acute rumen bloating occurs in poisoned deer, rumen puncture and deflation must be carried out immediately, but the speed should not be too fast. Suspicious feed was stopped, and intravenous injection of 10% calcium gluconate solution 300-400 ml or 10% sodium thiosulfate solution 100-200 ml was given. Meanwhile, symptomatic treatment such as cardiotonic agent, diuretic and hypertonic glucose was applied.