Oak poisoning of cattle in Ohio.

Fourteen cases of oak poisoning were diagnosed at the Ohio Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Reynoldsburg, Oh, in the fall of 1976. The poisoning was attributed to ingestion of oak shrubs, oak leaves, and acorns. Clinical signs included anorexia, rumen atony, hemorrhagic diarrhea, subcutaneous edema, and abnormal renal function. Perirenal edema and hemorrhage, ascites, hydrothorax, and hemorrhagic enteritis were frequently encountered pathologic changes. Histologic examination of the kidney revealed multifocal necrosis of the proximal convoluted tubules, which is a characteristic feature of this type of poisoning.