UC Davis

Over a 1-y period, a California calf-raising operation experienced 4 separate episodes of sudden death in 4-6-mo-old steers. Each episode occurred in 1-3 contiguous pens on 1 of 3 properties owned by the operation, but eventually all 3 properties were involved. In each episode, animals appeared normal at the evening feeding but at the subsequent morning feeding were found dead or dying. Remaining live calves had a stiff gait and were often dribbling urine, but did not show respiratory signs until they were down and agonal. At postmortem examination, calves consistently had moderate-to-large numbers of ecchymotic and suffusive hemorrhages on the epicardial surface and moderate-to-large amounts of fluid in the pericardial sac. Pulmonary edema and/or moderate amounts of watery fluid in the thoracic and abdominal cavities were present in a smaller percentage. On histologic examination, the myocardium had variable myofiber degeneration characterized by hypereosinophilia and fragmentation with mild interstitial infiltrates. Testing of heart and liver samples for monensin found levels lower than in previous cases of monensin toxicity. Rumen content was negative for oleandrin and grayanotoxins. Sodium monofluoroacetate (trade name: 1080) was consistently detected at ⩾10 ppb in kidney and liver, and was concluded to be the cause of the intoxication.