Flourine

FLUORINE

Source

  • Soil and Water
Function
  • Development of teeth and animals

Excess of fluorine

"FLUOROSIS"

Deficiency -Does not occur in animals

Flurosis / Fluorine poisoning - 2 ppm in water

  • Abundance of fluorine in water or soil
  • Rock phosphate -↑ fluorine is fed to animals
  • Substitute for bone meal which is costly
  • Contamination of pastures with industrial pollutants

Acute or Chronic - Bones & Teeth affected

Chronic poisoning - Teeth

  • Developing teeth show lesions of poisoning
  • Lateral incisors of cattle show changes
  • Opaque, chalk like, mottled or linear pigmented
  • Streaks and pits
  • Hypoplasia of enamel
  • Carries in teeth

Chronic poisoning - Bones

  • Metacarpal, Metatarsal, Sternum, Mandible, Phalanges are affected
  • Bones become shorter, thicker, heavier and broader
  • Marrow decreased in size
  • Exostoses, Osteomalacia, Osteoporosis
  • Bones become porous & brittle
  • Prone for fractures
  • Lameness & Stiffness - ↑ mobilization of Ca & P with fluorine

Shifting lameness

  • Anaemia - due to suppression of haemopoetic system

Acute poisoning

  • ↑ Sodium fluoride in swine & poultry (used to control ectoparasites & endoparasites)
  • Sodium monofluorate ( a rat poison) eaten by dogs etc.
  • Clinical signs like excitement, vomition, convulsions, death
Last modified: Friday, 23 March 2012, 6:04 AM