A total of 66 commercial and backyard chickens from 7 salt toxicity cases were diagnosed from necropsy submissions to the California Animal Health & Food Safety Laboratory (CAHFS) Systemwide.

Carlos Daniel Gornatti-Churria and colleagues from the CAHFS at the University of California-Davis in Turlock and Davis noted that affected chickens showed increased mortality, inability to stand/walk and abdominal turgidity.

This information was presented during the 2024 Western Poultry Disease Conference.

Ascites (6/7), anasarca (4/7), hydropericardium/cardiomegaly (7/7), edematous congested lungs (6/7), swollen and cystic testes (6/7) and pale enlarged kidneys (6/7) were lesions described at necropsy.

Compatible microscopic findings were seen in the cerebrum, heart, lung, kidneys and testis. Most of analyzed brains (19/24) showed sodium levels below 1,800 ppm, and sodium values ranged from 1,300 ppm to 1,700 ppm.

Feed samples submitted from affected flocks were analyzed and 5/7 feed samples analyzed showed higher sodium levels than recommended, the researchers found.