Case Report: Systemic Granulomatous Disease with Vasculitis in a Bull Due to Hairy Vetch (Vicia Villosa) Toxicosis
November 2023
in “
The Bovine practitioner
”
TLDR A bull got very sick and had to be put down after eating hairy vetch for months.
A 5-year-old Angus bull developed generalized alopecia, thickened skin, and severe diarrhea after grazing on hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) for 5-6 months. Diagnostic tests revealed a chronic hypersensitivity reaction and systemic granulomatous disease with vasculitis in multiple organs. Despite treatment, the bull was euthanized due to poor prognosis. Necropsy confirmed the presence of systemic granulomatous disease and vasculitis, with a predominance of T-cell lymphocytes indicating a type-IV hypersensitivity. Viral diseases were ruled out, and the remaining bulls in the pasture showed no clinical signs.
