Chronic copper poisoning in cattle: can you have too much of a good thing?

COPPER is considered to be one of the ‘classic’trace elements in ruminant diets, and is essentialfor the activity of a host of copper-dependantenzymes found in a wide range of tissues,involved in processes including iron metabolism,cell signalling and connective tissue function.1However the occurrence, diagnosis and preventionof copper-responsive disorders in ruminants is notstraightforward due to the complex interactions inthe rumen between copper, molybdenum, iron andsulfur, which reduce copper absorption. Therefore,it has become relatively common in the UK dairyindustry for copper to be supplemented routinelyin to the cows’ diet.