Salt toxicity suspected in death of cattle

Vet says heat may have affected water source used by 200 animals

An investigation is underway after some 200 cows and calves, worth an estimated $300,000 in market value, were found dead of what is thought to be dehydration and salt toxicity on a pasture south of Chaplin.

The grim scene at the 23,700acre pasture run by Shamrock Grazing Ltd. on a Crown lease was discovered Friday, and is said to affect six out of the pasture’s 31 owners. It’s not believed disease is a concern at this point, and around 240 surviving cow-calf pairs have been moved to an adjacent pasture and are under veterinary monitoring.

Dr. Betty Althouse, chief veterinary officer with the province, said Monday that preliminary results indicate dehydration related to concentrated salts in the water — which comes from a dugout — appears to be at fault, but added that is “not absolutely proven.” Authorities suspect that high rates of evaporation during the present heat wave could have given rise to the salt buildup.

“I guess an analogy would be somebody shipwrecked on the ocean,” Althouse said. “We know that we wouldn’t drink the ocean water. We may be thirsty and be craving the water … but it will kill you to drink saltwater. So it was the same thing with the animals. They’re thirsty. They’re craving water. They’re going to drink the water. But the saltwater will ultimately kill them.”

She said the source thought to be contaminated is not the only water source on the pasture, and warned owners to test their sources regularly, especially in changing conditions.

“Just because a water source was good one year, doesn’t mean it’s necessarily going to be good next year,” she said. “Depending on runoff and the evaporative load, the salts in the water can become more concentrated.”

Asked whether alkaline conditions specific to the Chaplin area could have played a part, Althouse said certain areas could be more “prone” but said she felt a sudden event like this could happen anywhere.

Althouse said this was the worst case she had seen in her five years in the role. She wouldn’t comment on individual management on the pasture, but did say that, “Whether they (operators) were unfamiliar with the pasture and didn’t know that there were other sources of water? That might have contributed.”

Shamrock Grazing Ltd. could not be contacted for comment.

On-site post-mortems were done by a veterinarian, with samples sent for laboratory testing.

Both dead and surviving cattle were transported to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan for further analysis.

Althouse said RCMP have been called in and will be consulting with Animal Protection Services of Saskatchewan.

Asked if she expected charges, she said “it’s way too soon to tell at this point. We don’t even have the full post-mortem results and know why they died.”

She said water results are expected Tuesday, with post-mortem results likely by the end of the week.

The more severely affected cattle will be brought slowly back onto water to help them recover.

The dead animals will now most likely be buried if a suitable spot can be found, Althouse continued.