Successful management of cyanogenic glycoside poisoning in a jersey crossbred cow

Abstract

A five-year-old Jersey crossbred cow was presented to Veterinary Clinical Complex, Veterinary College and Research Institute, Namakkal with the history of restlessness, staggering gait, circling behaviour and frequent lying down and getting up since morning. The animal was fed with regrown, immature and wilted Sorghum bicolor which was grown in drought condition. On clinical examination restlessness, anxiety, dyspnoea, stumbling gait, muscle tremors, hyperesthesia and sternal recumbency were observed. Conjunctival mucous membranes and the collected blood were in brick red colour. Haemato-biochemical values were within the normal range. Based on the history and clinical examination the animal was tentatively diagnosed for hydrocyanic acid poisoning and administered with sodium thiosulphate (@ 660 mg/Kg IV) along with intravenous fluids. The animal immediately responded to therapy and made an uneventful recovery. The present case report describes the successful treatment of cyanide poisoning as a critical case and life saving therapeutic intervention to save the life of high yielding animal thus the livelihood of the farmer.