How to Prevent and Treat Urea Poisoning in Deer? A Detailed Guide to Practical Methods
Urea is a chemical fertilizer widely used in agriculture and is a non-protein nitrogen compound. Using urea or ammonium salts added to the diet to replace protein in feeding deer has been widely adopted. However, poisoning can be caused by mixing too much urea in the diet or by uneven stirring, or by grazing and accidentally eating it in areas fertilized with urea.
[Etiology]: Urea and many non-protein nitrogen compounds are good protein substitutes and are commonly used as feed additives, such as urea, biuret, and diammonium phosphate. However, when fed in excess or by improper methods, they can produce large amounts of ammonia, and ammonia is a substance that attacks the nervous system of the body and can cause poisoning.
[Symptoms]: After overeating urea, deer can develop the disease within 0.5-1 hour. At the beginning of the illness, the deer show restlessness, groaning, salivation, muscle tremors, swaying of the body, and an unsteady gait. Then repeated spasms occur, breathing becomes difficult, the pulse can increase to more than 100 beats per minute, and frothy fluid flows from the nasal cavity and oral cavity. In the terminal stage, there are generalized spasms, sweating, nystagmus, and relaxation of the anus, with death within a few hours.
[Prevention]: Establish a strict urea storage system to prevent deer from accidentally eating urea, and stop using urea that has been exposed to rain or has become deliquescent; urea should not be mixed with soybeans or soybean cake for feeding, so as to avoid the destruction of urea; when using urea as a feed additive, strictly control the amount, and for an adult deer weighing 500 kg, the amount is 100-150 g per day. Urea is best fed mixed into the feed, and must not be dissolved in water for drinking or fed alone, and water must not be given within 2 hours after feeding. If the dietary protein is already sufficient, urea should not be added. Young deer should not be given urea.
[Treatment]: The best method for treating urea poisoning is to administer a large amount of cold water by drenching, and also administer weak acid solutions such as vinegar or dilute acetic acid. Use 1% acetic acid 500 mL, sugar 250-500 g, and plain water 500 mL, or vinegar 500 mL plus water 500 mL, and give orally once. When acute ruminal tympany occurs in a poisoned deer, rumen puncture must be performed immediately to release gas, but the speed must not be too fast. Stop feeding the suspected feed, inject intravenously 10% calcium gluconate solution 300-400 mL, or 10% sodium thiosulfate solution 100-200 mL, and at the same time use cardiotonics, diuretics, hypertonic glucose, and other symptomatic treatments.